New films showcase the landscapes of the South West
Source: gov.uk (2025-06-16)

A series of six films co-funded by Natural England highlight the fragile nature of protected sites and how we can all take steps to help our environment.

The stunning beauty of the South West has inspired many writers and artists, but now Natural England has joined forces with a poet and film maker to create a series of six inspiring videos about nature on protected sites in this corner of the country.

Taking in protected sites across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, the films, called “Wild Westcountry Odyssey” are a result of a collaboration between Natural England’s Protected Site Strategies (PSS) Research and Development Programme and the [RENEW Biodiversity project] (https://renewbiodiversity.org.uk/) at the University of Exeter. RENEW (Renewing biodiversity through a people in nature approach) is a collaboration between the University and the National Trust (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/), funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (https://www.ukri.org/councils/nerc/). It also partners with major conservation bodies like the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts.

The aim of future Protected Site Strategies will be to ensure the root causes of environmental issues – often driven by factors beyond the sites themselves – are addressed in ways that guarantee wildlife thrives on those sites, while helping nature recovery beyond their boundaries. All six of the Protected Sites chosen for the films are Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Habitat Sites.

Each film includes two short poems, specially written by John Wedgwood Clarke. The films celebrate the beauty and diversity of nature on the sites and the key achievements and projects that have restored habitats and species and are successfully tackling environmental change and impacts resulting from human activity

David Burton, Natural England’s Principal Officer for the Protected Site Strategies Implementation and Development programme, said:

We supported the production of the films to research how creative media can help re-set the relationships between people and nature within the framework of Protected Site Strategies. The approach is to educate and highlight the need for nature recovery to everyone.

Too often the environment sector has failed to communicate the plight of biodiversity in accessible, positive and thought-provoking ways. For Protected Site Strategies to realise the ambition we have set for them, resetting the relationships between nature and people in ways that build a resilient future for all, we need to harness the power of creative channels for our call to action.

John, Simon, and the rest of the ‘Wild Westcountry Odyssey’ team have created inspirational stories through film and poetry to help set our first few Protected Site Strategies on their way.

Simon Willis, filmmaker, said:

It’s been a privilege to work with all the nature reserves and John. The human effort that goes into keeping them thriving for wildlife is remarkable.

I hope our images and John’s words encourage people to look beyond the picture postcard and really value the wildlife that makes the South West such a great place to visit.

John Wedgwood Clarke, Professor of Poetry at the University of Exeter, said:

The South West’s diverse and beautiful landscapes have been the source of great joy for so many people and have inspired writers and artists over time. But take a closer look and you realise how fragile many of our ecosystems have become and the lengths to which our agencies and charities have to go in order to conserve their biodiversity.

I hope these films, and the visual and verbal poetry they contain, inspire people to explore this beautiful part of the world and think about how they can support, in whatever way they can, the work the goes in to helping people and nature thrive together in these special places.

John Clarke at Kynance. Credit Susan Willis

Professor Rosie Hails, Director of Nature and Science at the National Trust said:

We know that for people to protect nature and our fragile ecosystems, they have to care for it first. By using poetry and creating these films we aim to bring the beauty of these six south-west locations into their homes and onto their mobile devices, and to inspire them to visit and to help look after these special places.

Kynance on the Lizard Peninsula is one of our richest sites for rare and threatened species. The unique geology of granite cliffs with serpentine rocky exposures supports some of our most notable species such as land quilwort, pygmy rush and upright clover amongst the swathes of Cornish heath that make the site a National Nature Reserve.

As part of the Trust’s new strategy we will be targeting the rejuvenation of these important plant varieties through innovative management techniques to ensure the special species thrive into the future.

The first of the films, which features Kynance on The Lizard, is released today on YouTube: https://youtu.be/F4Lpu61T0vM

Others will be released weekly through to 21 July.

Notes to editors

Protected Site Strategies are ambitious and innovative in their approach to addressing the environmental issues impacting Protected Sites. They encourage collaborations with a wide range of stakeholders that operate at a landscape scale. This starts with the understanding that protected sites are representative examples of important places for nature and serve as indicators of healthy, naturally functioning landscapes. If the wildlife and physical environment within sites are compromised by issues such as neglect or pollution, that indicates that the broader landscape is facing challenges that affect both nature and people.

RENEW is a five year programme led by the University of Exeter and the National Trust and around 30 other partners from various sectors. It is funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and aims to tackle the challenges of biodiversity renewal through a people-in-nature approach. This initiative involves a wide range of research to understand how people engage with nature and the opportunities and challenges this presents for nature recovery.

As a result, finding ways to balance human activities with efforts for nature recovery is central to the work of both RENEW and PSS.

The short films are being released weekly from Monday, 16 June in the following order

The sites are:

Kynance on the Lizard, Cornwall, 16 June

Goonhilly Downs National Nature Reserve, Cornwall, 23 June

Challacombe Farm, Dartmoor, 30 June

Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve, Somerset, 7 July

Exe Estuary, Devon, 14 July

Otter Estuary, Devon, 21 July

Film one, Kynance: Celebrates the landscape beauty and the unique wildlife in Kynance and the return of the chough to the Lizard peninsular in Cornwall – the focus of a conservation project by Natural England, the National Trust and local farmers.

Film two, Goonhilly: Reveals the hidden richness of nature in a seemingly bleak heath and the abandoned workings of a former quarry while celebrating the collaborative conservation efforts of Natural England and local farmers.

Film three, Challacombe Farm: A film about Challacombe Farm on Dartmoor features a local farmer who has nurtured wildlife habitats across his farm. The farm is part of a future landscape recovery plan to improve conditions for nature across the Moor while helping farms prosper.

Film four, Westhay Moor: Focusses on a large peat bog restoration project being carried out by Somerset Wildlife Trust. It explores the theme of climate change which is bringing about impacts on nature and people highlights how peat restoration is essential in order to mitigate them.

Film five, Exe Estuary: Features the Exe Estuary in Devon, a vital refuge for migratory birds of great conservation concern, whose breeding and feeding grounds are increasingly threatened by intensive agriculture, development, and climate change.

Film six, Otter Estuary: Presents the Lower Otter Restoration Project at Budleigh Salterton and the new wetlands – created by a partnership between Clinton Devon Estates, the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust, the Environment Agency and the Interreg (EU) programme – that absorb the impacts of climate change and attract a wealth of wildlife.

Photo credits: Susan Willis.

All footage copyright Simon Willis Films. Clips can be supplied on request.