Win a three night stay at Scotland's most exciting rewilding project
Date: Tuesday 24th May 2022, 17.30 – late
Venue: British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank
In partnership with SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, The European Nature Trust will be hosting the London premiere of Riverwoods at the prestigious British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank. Shot across multiple locations in Europe, this urgently needed feature-length documentary shines a light on the perilous state of wild salmon populations and degraded river catchments, and what we can do to secure their future.
We all depend on rivers. They provide the water we drink; they transport the nutrients that people and wildlife alike need; their flows provide habitats and sustain ecosystems. Yet all is not well. In Scotland – where 97 per cent of native woodland has been lost – many riverbanks are deforested.
Threatened by changes at sea and on land, Scotland’s Atlantic salmon are now suffering from the degradation of river catchments. We’ve witnessed a decline of Atlantic salmon numbers by 70 per cent within the last 50 years. With climate change, rivers are becoming too hot. Our deforested riverbanks fail to provide the cooling shade that young salmon need to grow and survive. Scientists from Marine Scotland have found that just 35% of rivers in Scotland have adequate tree cover for salmon survival. We must get trees back on riverbanks, and fast.
Every one of us can make a difference. By purchasing tickets, you can support a growing movement for river restoration, you can help get trees back on our waterways, and protect salmon populations.
100% of the proceeds raised from ticket sales will be directed to projects that help repair and restore the most affected river catchments in Scotland. By attending the premiere you can help restore natural flows; contribute to tree planting initiatives in river catchments; and help kickstart wildlife conservation projects (including beaver reintroduction efforts) to improve the ecological condition of our waterways.
The evening will bring together key stakeholders in conservation, landowners. business leaders, environmental entrepreneurs, celebrities and more. In what promises to be an unforgettable evening, the premiere will be followed by dinner, drinks and a party, while serving as a crucial fundraising and networking platform.
Riverwoods will be screened in the historic BFI auditorium – a setting that has played host to cinematic history, royals, and stars of the acting world.
Guests will enjoy a Scottish themed menu, specially created by BFI’s resident head chef, and drinks for the evening. Please contact hq@theeuropeannaturetrust.com if you have any special dietary requirements.
Peter has spent almost three decades as a photographer, videographer, nature tourism operator and environmental communicator. He was a co-founder of major conservation media initiatives such as Tooth & Claw, Wild Wonders of Europe and 2020VISION. A long time advocate for rewilding, Peter now heads up SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a charity dedicated to nature recovery across Scotland.
Sophie is a writer and science communicator. Sharing stories about British nature to wide audiences, she puts a contemporary twist on the natural history genre. Sophie works for Beaver Trust and presented their award-winning documentary Beavers Without Borders. She is also an Ambassador for the Wildlife Trusts and sits on the RSPB England Advisory Committee. Her writing has appeared in The Metro, BBC Countryfile, BBC Wildlife and Coast magazines. Her first book Forget Me Not: finding the forgotten species of climate change Britain is published on 9th June, 2022 by Bloomsbury.
Alex works as the Head of Water Stewardship for The River Trust. He is the UK lead for the Courtauld 2030 commitment for collective action on water and a founding member of the Riverscapes partnership with the Woodland Trust, National Trust and Beaver Trust. Before joining The River Trust he worked at WWF-UK and before that spent 14 years at Defra and Natural England. Alex is member of the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) national support group, an Alliance for Water Stewardship expert practitioner and member of the BSI technical committee for water management.
Mat is an award-winning filmmaker, conservationist and wildlife cameraman. He has worked with a multitude of broadcast and commercial clients over the past 15 years, including BBC, STV, Channel 5, RSPB and Silverback. He now works as a filmmaker for SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, focusing on the challenges to wildlife and people as we tackle both the biodiversity and climate crises, and looking at how rewilding can be part of the solution.
Joining us in our vision for restored and thriving river catchments, the evening has been made possible by our sponsors Thomas Sabo and Newcore Capital. Through the sponsorship, all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the most effective river restoration projects.
TENT’s screening events provide a crucial platform for fundraising initiatives, an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals from the world of conservation and beyond, while enjoying a state-of-the-art cinematic experience, served with the highest quality food & drinks menu.
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