Agriculture & Environmental Impact – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 agriculture 10 cardboard 11 wildlife 12 library

13 wire 14 spinach 15 insects

16 branches 17 mayor 18 community garden

Leo: Hi everyone, my name is Leo, and I’m here to talk about an amazing art project my friends and I recently completed. We decided to collaborate and build a colossal, forest-themed tree sculpture to raise awareness about environmental issues.

At first, we weren’t sure exactly which environmental problem to focus on. We considered climate change or perhaps general forestry, but a documentary we watched made us realize that agriculture is a huge factor in environmental degradation, so we chose that as our main theme.

Once the theme was set, we had to decide what materials to use. Using recycled wood sounded like a great idea, and plastic bottles were another option we discussed at length. However, we managed to collect a huge amount of cardboard from local shops, so that became our primary building material for the tree.

Our design aimed to show the negative impacts of farming on nature. We thought about illustrating the pollution of water sources or the degradation of soil. But eventually, we agreed that showing the loss of wildlife would have the strongest emotional impact on people looking at the sculpture.

Finding a place to build and display this massive thing was our next hurdle. We were hoping to use the school hall, but it was completely booked for exams, and the cafeteria was just too busy during the day. In the end, the librarian kindly let us use a corner of the library, which actually had the perfect high ceilings for a giant tree.

Building a colossal sculpture isn’t easy. To keep the huge trunk upright, tape and string just weren’t going to be strong enough to hold the weight over time. Instead, my dad gave us some heavy-duty wire, which we shaped into a solid internal frame to support everything.

For painting the thousands of leaves, we wanted to use one hundred percent natural dyes. We tried boiling grass, but the colour was too faint, and green tea just turned out a murky brown. We finally achieved this vibrant, perfect green by crushing up spinach, which worked surprisingly well.

To represent the base of the forest ecosystem, we decorated the tree’s roots. We didn’t want to just stick on rocks or fake mushrooms. So, we spent hours crafting tiny insects out of leftover paper to highlight how crucial they are for healthy soil and the wider environment.

The construction had a few very stressful moments. The trunk was incredibly heavy but stable, and attaching the leaves was tedious but straightforward. The real nightmare was getting the branches to stay perfectly balanced without tipping the whole structure over. It took a lot of trial and error.

When we finally finished, we held an exhibition for the school and the public. We thought the headteacher would do the honours of unveiling it, or maybe a local artist who had helped us. But to our absolute amazement, the mayor attended the event and cut the ribbon to reveal our work.

We are so proud of what we achieved. It’s definitely made people more aware of how farming impacts the environment. While some kids have talked about starting a nature club or getting a new recycling bin, our ultimate hope is that the school will let us start a community garden on the grounds to promote sustainable growing. Thank you.

9  agriculture    10  farm    11  fallen leaves    12  mud

13  soil erosion    14  butterfly    15  seeds

16  sheep’s wool    17  fertiliser    18  rewarding

Leo: Hello everyone. My name’s Leo, and I run a community project combining outdoor art with environmental conservation. We specialise in making large, nature-inspired sculptures, and I’m here to tell you about our upcoming workshops.

My own journey into this wasn’t through a traditional art school route. Because of the type of work I do, people often assume I studied fine art, or perhaps ecology, but my background is actually in agriculture. That’s where I first truly understood how human activity impacts the natural world, and I eventually decided I wanted to express that creatively rather than just practically.

If you join one of our workshops, you’ll find that we don’t work in a conventional studio. We do occasionally hire the local village hall for planning meetings if the weather is terrible, but the actual creating always takes place on a community farm just outside town. It’s the perfect setting to connect directly with the environment we are trying to protect.

Now, a fundamental part of our ethos is leaving no negative environmental footprint. When creating your nature-inspired sculpture, you must adhere strictly to our conservation guidelines. It’s incredibly tempting to pluck wildflowers to add a splash of bright colour to your artwork, but we completely refrain from doing that to protect local ecosystems and insect habitats. Instead, we encourage participants to gather fallen leaves, which provide wonderful vibrant shades without harming any living plants.

To construct the core of your sculpture, you need a solid base. We avoid using chicken wire or plastic meshes, of course. Some participants suggest bringing in recycled cardboard, which is a nice idea, but since these artworks stay outside in the rain, we construct the main frame entirely out of mud. You’d be surprised at how well it holds everything together brilliantly once it dries in the wind.

The goal of these sculptures isn’t just to look pretty; they carry a strong message about our environmental impact. While our summer exhibition successfully raised awareness about river pollution, today’s project is specifically designed to draw attention to soil erosion, which is a severe issue locally caused by poor land management.

As for the design, we always stick to native wildlife. The previous group built a massive badger, which looked absolutely fantastic. However, our focus for this weekend’s session is going to be a butterfly. It’s a great symbol of transformation and a key indicator of environmental health.

To decorate your piece and give it texture, we use natural items. Tree bark is an option, but it can be hard to source sustainably without damaging trees. Therefore, we prefer to use a wide variety of seeds which we press firmly into the wet surface. They add fantastic detail and are entirely safe for the environment.

Sometimes participants bring their own found materials, provided they are natural and ethically sourced. I remember someone bringing in a bag of something that looked like white spider webs, but it turned out to be sheep’s wool they’d collected from wire fences during a country walk. It worked beautifully for adding a soft, fluffy texture to their piece!

You might be wondering what happens to our creations when the workshop is done. They aren’t put into an indoor art gallery or taken back to people’s gardens. They simply remain on the site, exposed to the elements. As they break down over the winter months, they turn into natural fertiliser that enriches the ground, completing the ecological cycle perfectly.

Running these sessions is an incredible experience. People arrive expecting just to learn a new craft, and they often say they find the day very relaxing. But above all, they describe the whole process as deeply rewarding, because they are making art that actually gives back to nature. So, I hope to see some of you there!