The pine marten

An acrobatic climber and a secretive hunter - that is the pine marten. At night, it travels five to seven kilometers on its forays, leaping effortlessly from treetop to treetop. But it depends on large, old, and connected forests - habitats that are becoming increasingly rare due to roads and settlements.

It is often wrongly blamed: when car cables are chewed or there is noise in the attic, it is almost always its cousin, the beech marten, that is responsible. The pine marten, by contrast, is shy and avoids human proximity. Its biggest problem is not us, but our infrastructure, which cuts through and fragments its roaming routes.

Why it needs protection: as a kind of “forest health officer,” it keeps mouse populations in check and helps spread seeds. To preserve it, we need connectivity - green bridges and corridors between forest areas are vital for its survival.

I myself have never seen this magnificent forest dweller in the wild - it is that skilled at hiding. This drawing is therefore more than just an image; it is a wish for the preservation of a species that we rarely see but would deeply miss if it disappeared.

Dimensions & medium:
Medium: Faber Castell polychromos
Paper: Lobome mixed medium
Size: A5 (5.8 in x 8.3 in)