Maisey Hammond, Marketing Officer
At Conference 2025, the Association was proud to host an exhibition of images by combat photographer Valentyna Okhlopkova documenting trees as the silent witnesses of the war in Ukraine.
Valentyna is a documentary photographer, filmmaker, volunteer, civic activist and chair of an NGO called Fairness Corps. She voluntarily joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a combat photographer, recently serving with the 78th Separate Airborne Assault Regiment.
The exhibition, titled ‘Wounded. Alive.’, was hosted at Conference to raise funds to support Valentyna’s work on documenting the impact of war on Ukraine’s trees and landscapes, and to purchase a new camera lens so she can continue to do so.
Thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended the exhibition, donated and purchased artwork we are delighted to share that just under £1,400 was raised through the sale of posters, framed images and direct donations made during and after the event.
We are incredibly pleased to confirm that Valentyna has now received her new lens, a Sigma 24–70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art Lens, which will enable her to continue documenting the often-overlooked environmental consequences of war. This lens will play a crucial role in capturing powerful, high-quality images that bear witness to the damage inflicted on Ukraine’s trees, forests and green spaces and to the resilience that remains.
In her Instagram post after she received the lens Valentyna wrote: ‘I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the UK Arboricultural Association and its Chief Executive Officer John Parker and to Yana Bobrova – the Executive Director of the “Peli can Live” Charity Foundation, for providing the Sigma DG DN Art 24–70 mm lens. Your support goes far beyond technical assistance – it is a powerful act of solidarity, trust, and genuine care.
‘Thanks to your help, I will be able to create additional high-quality photographic work documenting the consequences of ecocide caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine – the pain inflicted on our land, forests, and trees, which, like people, suffer from this war every day.
‘These photographs will become part of a book I am currently working on together with my friend, Ukrainian serviceman and ecologist Andrii Hrutba. The book, “Wounded. Alive.”, is dedicated to our forests, trees, and shelterbelts – wounded, yet still alive.
‘Thank you for your solidarity and meaningful support for Ukraine!’
The fact that we were able to support Valentyna’s work in this way is entirely down to the collective support of our community. Every donation, purchase and conversation helped turn the gallery from an exhibition into tangible, lasting support for a photographer working under extraordinarily challenging circumstances.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed: your support has had a direct and meaningful impact and it ensures that Valentyna can continue telling these important stories through her work. As Valentyna continues to document the silent witnesses of war, we are proud to have played a small part in supporting her mission and grateful to everyone who helped make it possible.
You can find Valentyna on Instagram: @alruna_ua
This article was taken from Issue 212 Spring 2026 of the ARB Magazine, which is available to view free to members by simply logging in to the website and viewing your profile area.