Turning Tides – The Wash Wildlife Documentary Coming Soon

The Wash is a vast and magical landscape for wildlife and nature, spanning both Norfolk and East Midlands coastlines, as we have already discovered in previous blogs.

But my writing alone doesn’t do it justice, seeing with your own eyes and visualising this fantastic landscape is critical in understanding just how valuable it is.

Fortunately, that’s just what is coming with the new documentary, Turning Tides!

Read on below to find out more and check out our Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes access.

What is Turning Tides? – Synopsis

An unknown dent in the vast fenlands on the east coast of England, The Wash is an
undiscovered Eden. The dance of tide and weather sculpts a dynamic living wonder of
shifting mudflats and salt marshes, creating one of the most important wetlands on Earth.

The Wash is an avian ‘service station’ providing shelter and a smorgasbord of nutrition to one million over-wintering birds. That nutrition – mussels, shrimps, cockles and whelks – also nourishes the land and supports the livelihoods of a band of fishermen, whose connections to the region go back generations.

But on its boundless horizon, bleak clouds gather. Brexit, climate change, green energy,
industrial development, and shifting lifestyles and appetites are threatening The Wash’s very existence and, along with it, the countless lives it sustains.

Chris Weston grew up around The Wash. At the age of ten, he picked up a camera for the
first time and started taking pictures of wildlife. After a decade of selling computers for a living, he changed tack to turn his hobby into a career photographing rare and endangered species. Now, after two decades in some of the world’s most harsh and remote regions, he’s coming home. Back to his roots. He has an untold story to tell. A local story touching on global issues. A story about friendship, community, endurance and survival.

What Can You Expect?

This documentary aims to bring you amazing images straight from The Wash, bringing the beautiful array of species and habitats from the wild into your living room.

As was so successful with the recent WildIsles series, this documentary will go further towards the work of getting the UK population to understand and value its amazing wildlife, while the world will also see what our beautiful east coast has to offer.

The birds, worms, mammals, fish, shellfish, mudflats, sandflats, and saltmarsh will all feature in this cinematic-style documentary, bringing important attention to all of those species and habitats that make up this mosaic-like natural habitat.

Specifics you can expect to see include flocks of amazing seabirds, hoards of shellfish such as cockles, rare and important waders and wetland birds, seal populations and potentially the rare Sabellaria reefs.

Not Just Another Wildlife Documentary

This documentary will go further than many before it, aiming to bridge the gap between the importance of wildlife as well as the importance of this area for surrounding communities.

Although the important issues of climate change and plastic pollution are becoming more prevalent in wildlife documentaries, what is often missed is the incredible importance many habitats around the world hold for our human communities that call them their home.

This documentary will take you into the world of the fisherfolk who rely on the shrimp, cockle, mussel, oyster and crustacean fisheries of The Wash. In this way it will highlight how these environments are not just important to save because of the wildlife, but also because of the livelihoods in our communities that are so reliant on their resources.

A perfect balance between wildlife conservation and human needs is the dream win-win scenario in conservation and through this film, you will see just how important it will be to consider both these broad parties in conservation efforts for The Wash in the future.

Who is Making Turning Tides?

The team behind this film boasts years of experience, having been part of creating some of the greatest documentaries of recent times for the BBC as well as working with the big names of conservation such as David Bellamy and David Attenborough!

Neil Lucas – Executive Producer
The creative genius behind many of the BBC Natural History Unit’s groundbreaking wildlife
documentaries with Sir David Attenborough, Neil brings his vast knowledge and experience
of the documentary genre to this production.

Chris Weston – Writer / Producer / Director
A passionate storyteller, acclaimed writer and natural history photographer, Chris was
listed by Outdoor Photography as one of the “40 Most Influential” wildlife photographers in
the world today. Turning Tides is his vision and, bringing two decades of journalistic
experience to the table, represents his first foray into documentary filmmaking.

John Beck- Director of Photography
A veteran of BBC documentary filmmaking, John brings a wealth of knowledge and a mind
for inventiveness to the team. He draws on his broad experience to direct and motivate our
team of young camera operators to bring the vision to life.

In addition to this dynamic trio, there’s Joe, Ben and Victoria working behind the scenes and on-site.

Furthermore, The Wildlife Trust, Eastern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority, RSPB, Natural England, The Wash and North Norfolk Partnership and Wash Wader group will all have a role to play in this film, to show just why The Wash is so special.

How Can You Follow Our Progress?

Until the film is live and on your favourite streaming platforms (potentially next summer), you can still follow the team along our journey as we aim to create something that everyone can enjoy and learn from.

I will be helping the team with marketing and communications for the film where you can see our updates, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes access, on our Instagram and TikTok.

Please also get in touch if you are interested in learning more, interviews or media coverage for the film!

“A microcosm of the global ecological picture and a metaphor of our times, this is a story of survival against all odds in a land that time forgot but hasn’t stood still.”

Chris Weston – Director/Producer

Disclaimer: All views put forward in my blogs are my own opinion and not in any way linked to Organisations or Companies I have, or currently work for.