Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPB are hosting a free screening of The Wash: Britain's Secret Wilderness on Friday 8 May at Boston United Football Club. The film showcases the beauty and significance of The Wash, a dynamic estuary that evolves through the seasons, while exploring the delicate balance between conservation and human activity.
On the edge of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, The Wash is one of the UK's most important wetlands. The ebb and flow of the tide, shifting mudflats and saltmarshes create a landscape of constant change. Over two million migrating birds rely on it as somewhere to stop, feed and rest during their globe spanning journeys. It is also a landscape shaped by people, including generations of fishermen who have made their living from its waters.
Directed and produced by Chris Weston, a wildlife photographer with more than 20 years of experience, the film is described as a 'homecoming' project as Weston grew up in Frampton. He left Lincolnshire aged 16 to seek a career in wildlife photography and has travelled the world photographing some of the planet's most charismatic species. He returned to The Wash to highlight this 'secret wilderness' and to champion its continued protection. Shot over three years, the film was made for cinema rather than television and is best experienced on a big screen.
The film captures the mesmerising wildlife spectacles and expansive landscapes of The Wash. Filming took place at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve and the RSPB reserves Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore in Lincolnshire, and Snettisham in Norfolk. Much of the fishery footage was filmed with local families in Boston.
The Wash: Britain's Secret Wilderness is being shown on Friday 8 May at Jakemans Community Stadium, Boston United Football Club, Pilgrim Way, Wyberton, Lincolnshire PE21 7NE. The venue is easy to access on the edge of Boston and has extensive free parking. Doors open at 6.30pm and the film starts at 7.15pm. Following the screening there will be a Q&A session with Chris Weston and several individuals who are featured in the film.
