Detect & Protect

A 13 minute film raising awareness of the urgent issue of wildlife disturbance on Cumbria’s coastline led to a special award for two University of Cumbria alumni who graduated July 2025. Featuring in Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s ‘Detect and Protect’ campaign, the bespoke short film educates the public on how to interact responsibly near and with wildlife, particularly around the South Walney and Foulney Island Nature Reserves. Each graduating with a University of Cumbria BA Wildlife Media degree, film-makers Issy Drake and Poppy Hotham were recognised for their outstanding skills and talent with the award of the Industry and Entrepreneurship prize from University of Cumbria's Institute of Education, Arts and Society. Located just off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, South Walney Nature Reserve is home to Cumbria’s only grey seal breeding colony and supports a rich diversity of birdlife, including gulls, oystercatchers, Arctic terns, and the rare little tern, one of the UK’s most threatened seabirds. However, these sensitive habitats are under growing pressure due to human disturbance, particularly during critical breeding and pupping seasons.