Ethical Consideration
Botanical Illustration is beneficial for conservation both in terms of scientific research and dissemination.
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Firstly, it offers a nearly permanent preservation of intricate plant details. Secondly, it can also play a role in the reconstruction of plant appearance from dried or pressed material. These two aspects collectively contribute to the advancement of scientific documentation through botanical illustration. Additionally, this approach serves as an effective means to enhance public awareness and foster compassion towards plants.
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On the other hand, there is a lot of poaching in many countries and regions. Unfortunately, many plants are still being pushed to extinction. So, as botanical illustrators with a relative knowledge of plants, they
must adhere to legal regulations while collecting data and specimens in order to prevent poaching that could potentially escalate the risk of extinction.
​“Every species has its role. And if we start removing one brick at a time, eventually that wall’s going to fall down.”（Cowell, cited in Trenchard, 2022:25）
Sources
Trenchard, T. (2022) South Africa’s plant poaching epidemic, Geographical.
Available at: https://geographical.co.uk/wildlife/south-africa-plant-poaching-epidemic (Accessed: 20 April 2024).