Our students use their creativity, technical skills and scientific knowledge to create compelling wildlife stories through media, with the aim of communicating important conservation messages and making positive change. Much of our wildlife is in crisis and needs our support, with 47,000 species threatened with extinction (https://www.iucnredlist.org in April 2025). Our students have a passion for wildlife and the natural world – and use their lens craft skills in filmmaking and photography to communicate the beauty and fragility of our environment and its inhabitants.
Ethical wildlife photography and documentary practice is central to the course ethos, with careful consideration of the environment when working outdoors on location, in often challenging locations and changing weather conditions. Wildlife media professionals have extensive fieldcraft knowledge alongside sophisticated lens craft – and this is what our students have developed with a strong skillset of wildlife identification, tracking and behaviour with in-depth understanding of biodiversity, habitat and conservation.
This academic year’s graduating students have produced varied media outputs including series of photographs on a wide variety of subjects, they’ve crafted natural history documentaries and edited their own short films, produced websites, blogs and vlogs, plus created interactive digital art projects. They’ve worked together in teams and individually on solo projects, collaborated with external organisations on important conservation initiatives, and have showcased their work in national competitions – demonstrating creativity, imagination, perseverance, talent and hard work.
We are proud of their achievements and thought-provoking work – we wish them all well on their onward individual journeys to employment and postgraduate study – and take this moment to collectively share and celebrate their success.Laura Baxter MA PGCE | Course Leader
Callum Blackmore
I have always had a passion for wildlife and nature as a whole. Growing up I was always flipping rocks for bugs, exploring the woods around me and watching Deadly 60 every night. Wildlife Media gave me the perfect opportunity to explore this passion further and has made me gain a deeper love for wildlife.
This course has allowed me to creatively explore different ways in helping species and showing the beauty of wildlife through my eyes. I appreciate the opportunity to study on this course, and it has given me the key building blocks for pursuing a career in wildlife conservation.
Thomas Collins
Since I was a child, I’ve had a deep love for wildlife and conservation, inspired by my Granddad’s passion for wildlife photography. He would take me to various nature reserves, sharing invaluable tips on how to excel in this field.
On my 10th birthday, I received my first DSLR camera, a Fuji film, which I used for three years before upgrading to a Nikon D5200. After finishing secondary school in 2018, I was uncertain about my career path, but my biggest supporter, my Mum, introduced me to Plumpton Agricultural College in Lewes, East Sussex. Initially, I was sceptical, but I soon discovered that they offered much more than just farming courses, particularly in Wildlife and Countryside Management.
By 2021, I completed college but felt I needed more time before diving into conservation work. I wanted to combine my conservation knowledge with a Level 3 photography qualification, which I pursued. While at Brighton MET, I spoke with a career advisor who informed me about a course that perfectly matched my interests: a BA (Hons) Wildlife Media university degree. By 2022, I transitioned from being a college student to a Wildlife Media university student!
Isobel Drake
From a young age, Issy has enjoyed being outside in nature, going for walks with friends and family, and photography has become her way of sharing the beauty of the natural world.
Issy is a dedicated wildlife photographer and aspiring filmmaker, capturing the beauty of nature through her lens. With an eye for detail and love for adventure, she documents the fascinating behaviours of diverse wildlife, the habitat that sustains them, and the breathtaking landscapes around her. Through her captivating photographs and films, Issy strives to raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire others to appreciate and protect the world’s invaluable flora and fauna.
Her passion for the outdoors and photography led her to the University of Cumbria, where she pursued a Ba (Hons) in Wildlife Media. As part of her degree, Issy has produced and co-produced a variety of films. Her most notable work to date is a three-minute, documentary style film highlighting the dire need to protect Danes Moss—a local green space—from the threat of encroaching urbanisation.
For her final major project, Issy has partnered with her course mate and friend, Poppy, to collaborate with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust on a real film brief. Together, they are producing a 15-minute documentary exploring the impact of human disturbance on wildlife at South Walney Nature Reserve. With the summer fast approaching, the film aims to raise public awareness about the harm caused by close human proximity to wildlife, particularly during the sensitive nesting season.
Madeleine Fryda
Hi my name is Madeleine Fryda I have been studying photography though GCSE, A-Level and am now studying BA (Hons) Wildlife Media at the University of Cumbria. Due to my passion about wildlife conservation and saving our planet, this course allowed me to discover different ways to have a positive impact on the world and the animals that surround us.
I chose to study BA (Hons) Wildlife Media as I am very passionate about supporting biodiversity and protecting our natural world and I would like to show people what they are doing to the natural environment, as I believe images are more powerful than words.
Films and photographs speak the loudest to me as much of the time, they show the harmful and neglectful behavior humans have towards the world and animals. This inspired me to speak up and act against damaging behavior, which has led me to try and pursue a career in policy and governance, ideally in pollution control locally with Carlisle City Council.
Nathan Greening
While studying I’ve focused my work on the local environment. A strong motivator for all my work is the desire to encourage others to explore the wildlife present in their area! From the tiniest fungus to the blue-grey pigeon sitting at the train station, I find it all fascinating. It really doesn’t matter where you are there’s always something interesting to see or learn!
I grew up exploring the urban green spaces around my town in Suffolk and it’s been these chaotic years of adventure that have led me to care so deeply about conservation. I hope to be able to utilize my creative skillset to help protect our environment, in whatever way that ends up being!
From photography to watercolour paintings, I’m going to keep creating works that celebrate our natural world.
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Poppy Hotham
Growing up, Poppy was surrounded by animals and observed wildlife along the Hartlepoolcoastline and surrounding areas. Her interest grew into capturing moments through photography, focusing on wildlife behaving naturally. This provided Poppy with insights into their behaviorand recording different species.
This guided Poppy to pursue a BA (Hons) Wildlife Media degree, where she could deepen her understanding of wildlife and habitats. The degree has expanded her knowledge by building on skills and techniques used when capturing moments of wildlife, ensuring that the creatures she documents are respected simultaneously with the environment that it is situated in.
Whilst working towards her degree, Poppy, along with her fellow course mate and friend have collaborated with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust to produce a 15-minute film about wildlife disturbances at South Walney Natrue Reserve. This is with the aim of communicating to the public the threat that could be caused when in close proximity to wildlife, especially during the nesting season, and to be aware of the signs. This is necessary as there are increasing numbers of people wanting to spend time outdoors as the summer approaches.
Tilly Kingsford
Since starting my journey studying Wildlife Media, I have learnt so much and I am very proud of myself and what I’ve achieved as I had never picked up a camera before coming here. I love all nature and I’m a collector of all weird and wonderful curiosities like taxidermies and bones. Painting is also a way for me to escape, providing me peace and a sense of accomplishment when adding that final brush stroke. Forever grateful for my time at the University of Cumbria, I have made some amazing memories and created lifelong friendships.
Daniel Peters
Wildlife was never my interest at a young age. Growing up in a quaint town on the North Yorkshire coast, I took nature for granted while being surrounded by rolling hills, woodland, and beaches.
Ever since getting a camera, my eyes were finally opened to how beautiful nature is. I love the challenge of capturing wildlife and the environment in unique ways, and the anticipation of getting a perfect shot is unlike any other.
With this newfound passion, pursuing a career in film was the perfect choice. Utilising my skills and equipment, I can showcase a different perspective on the natural world and shed light on misunderstood wildlife, including the hidden world of insects.
Samuel Richardson
My fascination with wildlife has been a lifelong passion, although the moment that really set the idea rolling was when I encountered a rare and hard to find duke of burgundy butterfly.
Finding one set me on a journey, a journey that has sent me to The University of Cumbria to study Wildlife Media, thus increasing my passion for wildlife and conservation, which soon led to me exploring places such as Skomer which is home to Puffins and Manx shearwaters , the Farne islands and one of my favourite nature reserves which is Thursley nature reserve, a unique habitat where I photographed the Beewolf.
Having a passion for the natural world and conservation, I established my desire to show the beauty within nature and bring people together through filming and photography, sharing stories of wildlife and the beauty of the natural world through a camera.
While at the University of Cumbria, the ambition for nature has driven me to create short films such as ‘season of the fungi’ a documentary film in my 3rd year showcasing the remarkable world of fungal species some of which glow under UV light and seasonal secrets a documentary film showcasing the incredible wildlife found throughout the winter and spring and raising awareness of the issues these mammals face from this ever changing world.
