Press Release

Press Release Archive: Friday 05 November 2010

An eye for the past

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has re-released two films which chart the changing landscape and wildlife of the county and the work of the Trust.

For the first time, two films made in 1967 and 1972 have been brought together and are now available to buy on DVD from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust visitor centres and shops. Nature in Trust (1967) Man has been changing the countryside for thousands of years but in the 1960s it was changing as never before.  This film looks at the work of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust in its early days.  An Eye for the Country (1972) The changing scene of the Lincolnshire countryside is seen through the eyes of Donna, a primary school girl, and Bob Stanton, an efficient farmer who establishes a nature conservation project on his farm. Though filmed 43 years ago, many of the issues in “Nature in Trust” remain topical such as the spread of intensive agriculture and loss of grazing cattle from the coastal marshlands - an area which is now part of the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marshes Project.  There are issues that weren’t anticipated in 1967 such as climate change, wind farms and sea level rise: all of which we must respond to if we are to continue to protect Lincolnshire’s wildlife and wild places.  Sadly some of the species featured in the film are no longer found in the county: chequered skipper and chalkhill blue butterflies, and red squirrels present in the 1960s are now extinct in Lincolnshire.  Paul Learoyd, Chief Executive, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said: "These films provide a fascinating insight into the pioneering work of the Wildlife Trust and provoke thought about the changes that will occur over the next 40 years and how we can manage the whole landscape as a living landscape with space for wildlife and people." The DVD of “Nature in Trust” and “An Eye for the Country” can be purchased for £10 from: Gibraltar Point Visitor Centre near Skegness; Far Ings Visitor Centre near Barton; The Wildlife Gift Shop, Castle Square, Lincoln; and Banovallum House in Horncastle.  The nature writing anthology: “Nature Tales – Encounters with Britain’s Wildlife” is also available from these outlets: Buy both the book and DVD for the special price of £20.   An extract from Nature in Trust can be seen on YouTube.

Notes to Editors

1. Nature in Trust - 1967 - 35 minutes
   Director/photography - Robin Crane, written and presented by Ted Smith
   
   An Eye for the Country - 1972 - 28 minutes
   Director/photography - Robin Crane
   Award - Diploma of Merit, 8th International Film Festival, Berlin 1974
   
   
2. Robin Crane made "Nature in Trust" as an amateur filmmaker when he was assistant secretary of the Lincolnshire Trust for Nature Conservation (as the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust was then called).  As a consequence he was offered a contract with the BBC and established his own production company which won many national and international awards.
   
   
3. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve – Stanton’s Pit – was a gift from Bob Stanton, who starred in An Eye for the Country. Further information about the reserve can be found on our reserve pages.
   
   
4. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wild places throughout the historic county of Lincolnshire – from the Humber to the Wash. The Trust is Lincolnshire’s leading nature conservation charity with over 25,000 members and around 100 nature reserves. The Trust is a member of a nationwide network of 47 local trusts which work to protect wildlife - The Wildlife Trusts. www.lincstrust.org.uk
   
   
5. The Wildlife Trusts. There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.  With nearly 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea. 135,000 of our members belong to our junior branch, Wildlife Watch.  We manage 2,256 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares; we stand up for wildlife; we inspire people about the natural world and we foster sustainable living. Visit www.wildlifetrusts.org

For further information please contact

Rachel Shaw, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01507 526667   (ansaphone out of office hours)
Fax: 01507 525732
Email: Rachel Shaw

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Banovallum House
Manor House Street
Horncastle
Lincolnshire LN9 5HF

Website: www.lincstrust.org.uk