Moor Otters sculptures officially unveiled

‘Naked’ otter sculptures were unveiled at a special event today to mark the next exciting steps of Dartmoor National Park’s Moor Otters arts trail 2020.

The event held at Bovey Castle, and hosted by Dartmoor National Park, gave artists the opportunity to collect their sculptures so they can start transforming them into stunning individual works of art.

At the same time, businesses and supporters were able to learn more about how the funds from Moor Otters sponsorship and sales will go towards important conservation projects so people connect with Dartmoor and care for it in the future.

Moor Otters aims to raise more than £60,000 for Donate for Dartmoor, the National Park’s fundraising scheme which helps look after the moor’s cultural heritage, habitats and wildlife so everyone can enjoy it today, tomorrow and in the future.

Chair of Dartmoor National Park Authority Pamela Woods said: “It was fantastic to welcome so many Moor Otter supporters to the unveiling today. It’s exciting to see the sculptures go to their new ‘homes’ where they’ll all be transformed into works of art. We can’t wait for people to see them out in the wild!

“Moor Otters is a brilliant way for people to connect with Dartmoor, have fun in the National Park and learn about caring for it. Funds raised will help us continue with our excellent conservation and outreach work to ensure Dartmoor is accessible for all in the future.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has supported the campaign so far and encourage any other regional businesses that may wish to sponsor an otter or get involved to get in touch.”

Eighty sculptures of otters hugging their cubs, each individually designed and decorated by artists, will be released across publicly accessible areas of Dartmoor and surrounding areas next summer. People can explore four different Moor Otter trails by foot, pushbike or public transport or any way they like with prizes given for sustainability.

Each sculpture will have information about Dartmoor and people are encouraged to share their photos on social media using the hashtag #MoorOtters

At the end of summer sculptures will publicly auctioned with money going towards Donate for Dartmoor.

Schools will be given mini sculptures so children can create their own artwork for display at Princetown Visitor Centre later in summer. They can then keep their otter or auction it to raise funds for their school.

South West Water is the main supporter of Moor Otters. The sculptures have been specially commissioned and created by Jolly Roger Ltd in Bovey Tracey. Organisations which have also pledged their support are: BRS Images, Bovey Castle, Bearnes Hampton and Littlewood auctioneers, Absolute PR and Marketing, the Western Morning News and Mail Boxes Etc.

In 2017 Moor Otters raised £60,000 and funds were reinvested in conservation, outreach and understanding work in key areas. This included helping young people develop practical and personal skills that promote awareness for our environment, clearing non-native invasive plants so native species can flourish and path repairs to make places more accessible for everyone.

All this work is hugely valuable for nature recovery and cultural heritage. Every penny counts – just £10 helps conserve archaeological features and £30 pays for grassland management.

Businesses interested in sponsoring an otter can contact Dave Southern by email or calling 07491 925157.