A nationally renowned street artist is set to create a series of spectacular wildlife murals as part of a new trail that will run throughout Lowestoft.
Street artist ATM will team up with Suffolk Wildlife Trust to transform areas with giant murals and 'create a buzz' around the town.
The new street art trail will launch in two weeks time, as the wilder side of Lowestoft is celebrated.
It comes after Suffolk Wildlife Trust's successful fundraising campaign, which included a £4 million award from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to create a new nature reserve and visitor centre at Carlton Marshes,
London-based street artist ATM will paint the first of a series of giant wildlife murals during half-term near to the reserve, on the wall of Smith Brothers Timber in Oulton Broad.
Subsequent murals will be created throughout the town, as the trail makes it way down to the seafront.
The street artist has been highlighting wildlife issues through his artwork, often with a focus on species and habitat loss, in towns and cities across the world.
He will be introducing an icon of Carlton Marshes to a wall in Lowestoft's town centre, but the design remains secret for now.
He said: 'The importance of Carlton Marshes is its proximity to the town and how valuable it is for people to be able to easily reach and have contact with a wild piece of nature, so that it becomes part of our everyday lives and we therefore value and cherish it.'
Of ATM, Michael Strand, community fundraising manager at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, said: 'His work highlighting the plight of wildlife through art creates powerful messages and in this instance will introduce some of the special species found at Carlton Marshes to the town's residents.'
Katy Runacres, learning officer at Carlton Marshes, said: 'We have got a series of giant wildlife murals planned, created by ATM for us – it will be a handful produced as part of a graffiti art trail.
'They will all be different and will create a buzz. This is the beginning of a whole new chapter for Carlton Marshes, and for nature in Lowestoft.
'What's happening at the nature reserve is going to put the town firmly on the map as a nature hotspot.'
Alongside the street art trail, the Trust will be out and about with its Marshes on the Move roadshow and ATM will run free workshops with youngsters in the future.
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