ByRos Nash
Published: 15:00, 05 October 2026
A new conservation comic celebrating the region’s wildlife is available to borrow from far north libraries.
The North Coast Species on the Edge comic was launched at Thurso Library in September, after a collaboration between conservation programme Species on the Edge, communities from across the area, and local artist Aimee Lockwood.
The collaborative community project was led by Aimee, who ran community workshops across the north coast throughout summer 2025.
Participants shared wildlife stories that mattered to them and highlighted the flora and fauna they wanted to celebrate and protect. These contributions are woven through the comic alongside Aimee’s illustrations.
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The theme is that whilst the north coast is home to many well-known and charismatic species – from puffin to orca – it is also home to many more underappreciated or even misunderstood species that deserve our protection.
Aimee’s illustrations highlight a selection of these species and describe the work that local groups and organisations are carrying out to help protect them.
At the launch event, guests enjoyed a question-and-answer session with the team behind the comic and hands-on creative activities, before receiving a copy to take home.
Louise Senior, people engagement officer for Species on the Edge, said: “The comic project was designed to bring together diverse narratives relating to conservation across the north coast, from Durness to Dunnet. [There was] a unifying message about the value of our unique north coast biodiversity and about the determination of local efforts to protect it. Our comic tells this story.”
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Aimee Lockwood said: “Comics aren’t just for kids. Visual storytelling can translate complex topics into a fun and relatable format that many people find easier to digest than a lengthy monologue. In this comic, we’re grappling with potentially contentious conservation problems, but, by adding colour and humour and using north coast settings, we’re bringing those issues into focus and making them locally relevant.”
In September, Wick High School S2 pupils received a copy of the comic to take home.
Physical copies of the comic are available to borrow from High Life Highland libraries including Wick, Thurso and Golspie. Copies can also be requested
The comic can be viewed digitally on the Species on the Edge website.
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