Sabite Müftügil

Late in my life, I found out botanical illustration, the perfect combination of my two passions; art and nature. I started my trainings in NGBB (Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden) in Istanbul a year before I attended RBGE Diploma Programme in 2021. I became certified artist of Illustrated Flora of Turkey project in 2022.

I am increasingly concerned about the wild, endangered plants and I intend to highlight in my work, the beauty and characteristics of these species and raise awareness on threats they are facing.

Title of the Project:

Endangered species in Conservation Projects.

About the Project:

In NGBB, significant ex-situ conservation projects of rare, endemic and endangered species are carried out. For my major project, I selected five of these species; Astragalus yildirimlii, Rhaponticoides mykelea, Vuralia turcica, Cephalaria tuteliana and Centaurea tchihatcheffii. These species are endemic to different regions in Turkey and belong to different plant families. All five of them are listed as CR, and they are almost on the verge of extinction at their natural habitat. My purpose is to call attention to the importance and urgency of conservation of rare species at risk.

Illustrations: