A new short film highlights the urgent need to boost conservation and nature restoration in part of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.
Heart of the Biosphere: A Year in the Life of Merrick-Kells and Silver Flowe was set to be premiered in Newton Stewart last night.
It takes viewers on a journey to discover the unique beauty and complexity of one of the hardest to reach areas in the biosphere – a wilderness which faces multiple threats including climate change and biodiversity loss.
The film has been produced by Lilac Howell Films on behalf of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership.
Biosphere director, Ed Forrest, said: “Heart of the Biosphere is a call to action to protect the precious upland landscapes and habitats of Galloway, which are vital to sustaining life as we know it.
“Patterned blanket bogs are globally important for their incredible carbon-storing properties and the phenomenal diversity of plant and animal species that they support, but there is a huge amount of work to be done to ensure their continued survival.
“Helping others understand the importance of these remote ecosystems to ecological health, cultural heritage and socioeconomic wellbeing is imperative to achieving this.
“The short film we have commissioned is the first to explore this unique area and its importance in the tapestry of Scottish landscapes, and we are excited to transport viewers right into the very heart of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.”
Merrick-Kells and Silver Flowe are home to some of the country’s most iconic species including peregrines, golden eagles, otters and wild goats, as well as the rare and beautiful azure hawker dragonfly, a species only found in Scotland.
The lack of human activity and intervention make the area a refuge for wading birds, pine martens, invertebrates, mosses and wetland plants.
These species and many more depend on peatland and grassland conservation to survive in the face of multiple concurrent risks generated by global warming and human activity.
The Heart of the Biosphere film was shot over a 12-month period to capture the seasonal changes of the area, acclaimed as one of the last true wilderness areas in Scotland.
The production team were backed by expertise and logistical support from organisations including Forestry and Land Scotland, NatureScot, South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre and RSPB Scotland.
Following last night’s premiere at Newton Stewart Cinema, there will be another screening at the Robert Burns Centre in Dumfries on Tuesday, October 22 as part of the Wild Goose Festival.
Director of Lilac Howell Films, Anthony Howell, said: “It was a privilege to spend a year working with the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership, immersed in this truly astounding location and having the privilege to capture sights and sounds that so few people get to experience in real life.
“The project was very much a team effort and one which had a very light touch on the ground, with a single-member crew filming on site supported by partner organisations and the biosphere’s officer team.
“We are thrilled that Heart of the Biosphere is bringing these wild uplands alive and sharing the area’s very special sense of place with a hugely diverse audience here in Scotland and around the world, helping connect people with the location and with ideas for positive action that secures its future.”