The return of one of the UK’s rarest reptiles is being celebrated in Lancashire.

More than 400 sand lizards are thriving once again on sand dunes on the Fylde coast, thanks to ongoing habitat restoration. Once pushed to the brink by habitat loss, these remarkable reptiles were returned to the coastline several years ago and appear to be a steady population, offering a rare piece of positive climate and conservation news.

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Competition

The news is being celebrated in picture form - and you can win it. A unique A2-sized painting of the Fylde Sand Dunes worth £2,500 has been created by Rochdale-based artist Holly Moeller. The intricate watercolour and ink artwork captures the beauty of the Fylde coast and the characterful charm of the rare sand lizard. The piece was specially created to raise awareness of the Fylde Sand Dunes Project and the vital conservation work restoring this precious habitat.

Holly worked with the Fylde Sand Dunes project as their artist in residence during their annual Christmas tree planting event last week, which involves sticking old Christmas trees in the sand to rebuild sand dunes as both a habitat and coastal defence. Inspired by classic children’s book illustrations, Holly used ink to give the piece vibrancy and personality, capturing the sand lizard’s “unmistakable, slightly cheeky expression”.

“I wanted to combine creativity with conservation awareness,” said Holly. “The return of over 400 sand lizards to the dunes is such hopeful news, which we tied in with the Christmas tree planting. I wanted to celebrate that success and help more people fall in love with this special landscape.”

Holly spent nearly three weeks bringing the artwork to life. The process included four full days of field sketches and research, studying wildlife and producing anatomically accurate drawings, followed by careful painting in watercolour and ink on premium watercolour paper. A further week was dedicated to framing and photography.

placeholder image — Painting by Holly Moeller | submit

Lydia German, Senior Campaigns Officer at Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said: “Having Holly as our artist in residence at our event created huge interest in the painting and the wildlife featured in it. People loved seeing creativity used to tell the story of local wildlife. It’s a brilliant way to engage new audiences and raise awareness of species like the sand lizard, whose recovery shows what’s possible when we restore nature.”

The Fylde Sand Dunes Project is restoring one of the most important dune systems in the country, protecting rare species, improving resilience to climate change, and reconnecting people with wildlife along the Lancashire coast.

Enter the competition

To enter, follow the Fylde Sand Dunes project on either Facebook or Instagram and view instructions on how to enter. Entries close on March 22.