New Perspectives 2021-2023

The first New Perspectives film launched in September 2022 and was created by Kwesia a.k.a. City Girl in Nature; she shares a film about a group of first-time visitors experiencing the South Downs National Park.

Our second selection of films are by Tony from Devon, who created four short films titled Natural Outsiders, exploring the relationships of four different individuals in the Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The Natural Outsiders films are live.

In January 2023, we launched our third story by bursary holder Ruth: Cultivating Carbon and Cows explores the relationships between cows, carbon capture and farming in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

In February 2023, we launched the fourth film in the New Perspectives series: Access For All is a short documentary by Charlotte Ditchburn. Charlotte’s story explores the idea that access needs to be improved in the National Parks and that nature should be accessible for all.

Later in February 2023, we launched the fifth story: Peat 2023 by Timothy Gallagher, a film exploring the impressive carbon capturing capabilities of peat and the challenges of peatland restoration in the Peak District National Park.

In April 2023, we launched our sixth story from Erika Cann – Walk and Observe Dartmoor, a booklet of walks exploring the Dartmoor National Park, all accessible by public transport.

In June 2023, it was time for our seventh story – Portrait of the South Downs National Park, a film and photographic series created by Saira Niazi. Saira's project explores hidden gems and unearths the stories that surround them. You can learn more about the project and view the film here.

In July 2023, we launched the eighth story from our New Perspectives series: The Wanderlust Women Tour, a film created by Amira Patel, who documented her experiences as well as those of her tour attendees, digging into what barriers are restricting Muslim women and other people from ethnic backgrounds from visiting National Parks.

In August 2023, we launched the ninth project from Katie Dancey-Downs, a writer and journalist based in the New Forest National Park, whose project New Children of the New Forest follows three young people – a shark expert, a secret agent, and a teenager – preserving ancient traditions and sharing their stories of dedication to defending their New Forest homes. The project culminated in a series of interviews and short films, all of which can be explored on Katie's website.

Finally in September 2023, we launched our tenth project from Liz Lee Reynolds, who produced an article for our membership magazine Viewpoint on how community creates sustainability in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.