Press Release Archive
Top UK nature photographers coming to an ecosystem near you! (River Tweed)
30 September 2011
What are ecosystems and why are they so important to us? That’s what 2020VISION, the UK’s largest conservation photography initiative, plans to shout about.
Over the course of 20 months, a dedicated photo team, consisting of 20 of the UK’s top nature, wildlife and landscape photographers, will be traveling the country, carrying out photography assignments at over 20 locations where whole ecosystems are being repaired and re-connected so that they function as they should. Using the stunning images which are captured, and backed by a team of top videographers, sound recordists and writers, 2020VISION will produce an amazing image bank which will be rolled out across the country in a series of roadshows to communicate the crucial link between a vibrant nature full of wildlife, and our own well-being. It’s a link that increasingly, science is telling us we need to re-establish.
One of the locations handpicked for this ground-breaking project is the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. From 10-13 October 2011, the 2020 Photo Team consisting of Joe Cornish, Rob Jordan, Linda Pitkin and videographer, Raymond Besant, will be on location, to capture not only jaw-dropping nature images, but also documentary shots of the work which is being done there. The images the team produce will help to prove that the River Tweed and the surrounding area is “More than just a river”.
The Tweed is a major economic and environmental resource, playing a vital role in the landscape, tourism, wildlife, water supply, drainage and recreation of the area. It harbours a rich variety of flora and fauna, is an internationally famous salmon river and rich agricultural area, attracting thousands of visitors each year and providing drinking water to the Borders and Edinburgh.
Various projects are in progress to conserve and enhance the water environment and the rich natural and cultural heritage associated with the Tweed and its tributaries.
Assignment photographer, Joe Cornish, says “Rivers are quite literally major arteries for the wild world, highways of activity, homes for fish and amphibians, and a source of water and life for many more animals. They are also vital for human beings, and our insensitive use of a river can be disastrous for the wild world, and us in turn. The Tweed is one of Britain's most fascinating rivers because it is a historic and current borderland between England and Scotland. Yet it is also a landscape icon, rich in varied habitats, and as major British rivers go it is one of the least spoilt by the effects of the industrial and agricultural revolutions. I am looking forward to exploring its course and discovering some of the landscapes through which it flows.”
2020VISION is a collaborative project, working alongside many partners, including the Tweed Forum, the Tweed Foundation and Northumbrian Water.
Visit www.2020v.org for more information and to find out how to get involved.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For further information on 2020VISION and this iWitness assignment, please contact Emma Blyth on emma@2020v.org or 01330 860003.
A selection of images, along with the 2020VISION logo, can be downloaded from our website at http://www.2020v.org/press_room.asp. If any additional images are required, please contact Mark Hamblin on mark@wildmedia.org.
