Nature Features

Rock 'n' roll man Bill Wyman's doodle.

Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has been overwhelmed by the response to its appeal for celebrity sketches of dragonflies.

The charity has received over 170 doodles from a wide range of famous people including Phil Collins, Julie Goodyear, Frankie Dettori and Katie Melua.

David Ireland from DWT says the reaction to the appeal has been fantastic. "We've had some great pictures, many of them must have taken hours to create," he told the BBC Devon Website.

"Many have also been accompanied by some lovely comments too. It's amazing how many celebrities know the area and talk so passionately about it.

A 'crazy' sketch from Katie Melua.

"This is much more than just a collection of doodles, there's also an empathy for the conservation work we are trying to fund," he added.

Every week from 17th October until Christmas 2005, a batch of 20 will appear on Ebay for a seven day auction.

Some of the best have already been displayed at the Dart Water Festival and at Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition continues until Saturday 10th December.

On thin ice? Robin Cousins' offering.

The doodles, which have all been autographed by the artists, will raise money for the Dart Catchment Project, DWT's initiative to complete habitat restoration and pollution prevention.

The Trust hopes to raise more than £10,000 and says the project will benefit not only dragonflies, but a wide range of rare birds such as golden plovers and wonderful mammals such as the otter.

A full list of the celebrities who have taken part in the project, and more of their illustrations, can be found on the DWT website.