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
Eden-Lily Bufton
Chloe Cann
Beth Dicken-Jones
Rewilder/land manager, ecologist, photographer and filmmaker
Regional RTS student award winner
I am passionate about nature, wildlife, and the environment and bringing endangered species to the forefront of people’s attention through different media.
Following a significant and life-changing injury, I was fortunate enough to take charge of rewilding and then managing a 12.5 acre tract of ‘impoverished’ semi-rural grassland, Wild Lea, in Yorkshire.
With guidance from the Woodland Trust, I was successfully accepted onto the national Grow Back Greener initiative. Over 3,000 native saplings, three wildflower meadows, a pond, an area of Wax Caps and two broods of Barn Owls later, I have hosted visits from nationwide professional groups, and my work was featured in the Woodland Trust’s Broadleaf magazine as well as on local BBC radio.
Studying Wildlife Media at the University of Cumbria has given me a fantastic opportunity to develop the skills needed to promote wildlife and the environment in the media, through photography and videography and to further develop my professional network. I was thrilled to have been nominated for a regional student RTS award in their Saving the Planet category for my short film, ‘Vanishing Vipers,’ and then to actually win it was amazing! ‘Vanishing Vipers’ has also been showcased at the recent North Pennines National Landscape Northern Adders Conference at the Tullie in Carlisle and in Budapest, Hungary, where I was invited to attend the LIFE Project’s Hungarian Meadow Viper Conference and Field Study.
My aim is to continue to spotlight endangered, misunderstood and under-represented species such as amphibians and reptiles, which are the primary focus of my work in this exhibition. I intend to continue my professional life, post-university, by setting Wild Lea up as a CIC (Community Interest Company) to further share its magic with community groups and schools and to provide meaningful, real life, engagement with, and media representation of, nature for many years to come.
Sophie Hunter
Dawn McCall
I am passionate about wildlife conservation and finding ways to show the beauty of the natural world, whether that be in the form of art, photography or film.
One of my aims in my work is to promote the regeneration of richer habitats and show how this can be done though rewilding or similar projects. I am fascinated by ecology, and the different connections and relationships between living organisms in their environment. I am a strong believer that if we can show how amazing these relationships are, others will follow. Doing this will help make a better world for us all.
Ryan McColl
As a cinematic and photographic practitioner, my modus operandi is to delve into creative ways to narratively engage and immerse audiences in the natural world. At a time when our environment urgently needs protection, I’m interested in how emotional connection can inspire care. We are more likely to protect what we feel connected to.
My work invites viewers to look closer and question the subtleties of what surrounds them. When does “just a bird” become a Red Kite? What drives a Red Squirrel to cache its food? By paying attention to the details, the natural world becomes less distant and more personal.
Through this exploration, I aim to foster a deeper relationship with the wild, encouraging a sense of shared responsibility for the planet we all inhabit, one click of a shutter at a time.
Jack Murden
My name’s Jack and I’m a wildlife and adventure photographer/filmmaker. I’ve been taking photos for as long as I can remember, and firmly believe that the wildlife we have on our doorstep is just as spectacular as that found anywhere else in the world.
I’m a huge advocate for getting to know your local wildlife; whilst at uni, I’ve followed a family of dippers from nesting to fledging, watched an otter hunt just metres away from me, and seen the world’s fastest animal – all within a 20 minute walk of home. There really is wildlife everywhere if you look hard enough.
I’m at my happiest outdoors, be that hillwalking in the Lakes, laying by a loch waiting for otters, or camping out in the fells. And of course, my camera comes with me every step of the way.
To see more of my work, please check out my Instagram @jackmphotographer.
Lloyd Prime
Hi I’m Lloyd, I grew up in the Peak District and I’ve always enjoyed being in the outdoors, but it wasn’t until 3 years ago when I bought my first camera that I realised I had a passion for taking photos and filming our wildlife and landscapes.
I’m driven by a passion for the outdoors and nature, and I want to use my camera to show people how important all our ecosystems are and do my part in protecting them. I’m also a climber and hiker so being outdoors with my camera is where I feel most comfortable!
Megan Richards
I am a documentary filmmaker with a passion for conservation storytelling. I previously worked in rhino rehabilitation in South Africa and realised media would help me share important stories.
Both my graduate film and dissertation focus on the use of aviation in anti-poaching, showcasing how important collaboration and technology is in the complex world of conservation. My aim is to use
documentary-style filmmaking to connect audiences to the natural world (and the people who protect it) in engaging, informative, and accessible ways. Ultimately, we protect what we love and we love
what we know so I would like people to know nature.
William Scaife
Creative artist Will Scaife has developed a variety of skills during his university studies.
Will is a fitness fanatic who has learnt photography and filmmaking skills which he has used to create his own popular social media channels across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
He is also a talented artist, illustrator and designer who has created beautiful film posters, marketing images and magazine style designs featuring wildlife and the environment.
In our globally connected social media world, Will is already achieving success through combining his interests and skills, working as an influencer, content creator and brand ambassador for Gymshark and DFYN.
Toby Sydenham
Hi my name is Toby and I am a wildlife photographer and filmmaker with a passion for the outdoors. I have always loved taking pictures of wildlife and nature but started taking wildlife photography more seriously after buying my first telephoto just over 3 years ago.
I believe that British wildlife is among some of the best in the world and I enjoy capturing it on camera. Alongside wildlife photography, I also enjoy taking my camera out into the hills in the Lake District and Scotland.
When I can’t get outside, I often spend my time researching the latest cameras and outdoor gear.
If you would like to see more of my work you could have a look on Instagram at @tsydenham_photography plus at my films on YouTube.
Phoenix Timbers
My work explores observational photography as a way of connecting with the natural world, shaped by fleeting encounters and the quiet rhythms of seasonal change. My interest in wildlife photography began during college, where time spent outdoors changed how I viewed the world around me. During this time I developed a closer awareness and understanding of animals and their behaviours.
This project was developed through repeated visits to the same woodland areas during late winter and early spring, focusing on the subtle signs of seasonal change and the effects of warmer temperatures arriving earlier each year. Returning to these locations
each week allowed moments to unfold naturally rather than being forced, while making small changes easier to notice, from early blooms to increasing animal activity. Many photographs were taken during early mornings, working in low light, cold temperatures,
and unpredictable weather conditions. These observations formed the foundation for the
series When Spring Comes Too Soon, reflecting a growing awareness of how shifting seasonal patterns are influencing both the landscapes and the behaviour of wildlife.
Rococo Topaz
Hi, I am a passionate wildlife photographer and naturalist who first fell in love with photography in 2016 after visiting Costa Rica. I particularly enjoy photographing birds and animals in Tanzania but also love the wildlife of my homeland. I especially enjoy showcasing wildlife in their natural habitats to spread awareness of all the incredible animals we have on the earth, without heavy retouching or post production editing.
I have started filmmaking since being at university and have a growing passion for this new aspect of photography and am inspired to continue building my skills. My first passion project is “The Wildlife on Our Doorstep” showcasing the fantastic diversity we can find in our local areas if we only look. This exhibition combines my two passions, showing both local wildlife and beyond has a place in my heart and
all wildlife, globally should be appreciated and celebrated.
This body of work has been curated across the last three years and highlights the best moments I have encountered out in the natural world. Through my films and photos I hope to inspire many more people to explore and appreciate their local area, as often the wildlife on our doorstep is passed by yet so rewarding and fascinating to observe and capture through a lens
Victoria Ward
I have forever been a lover of all thing’s wildlife, and this has only developed as I have grown. Initially I loved art, I still do, but ever since testing my dad’s old camera, Photography and film has been the path on which I have never looked back.
Filmmaking has been my recent venture and skill and having developed creative and professional skills over the last 3 years of university, I am proud to call myself a confident, inspired explorer and filmmaker.
As a creative storyteller, my passion for the natural world drives my interest in creating impactful, meaningful work. Within photography and filmmaking, I intend to create intrigue and engagement with my audience; while also creating awareness for my subjects and the habitats they call home.
Creating connection with people and wildlife is at the forefront of my work which includes raising issues such as plastic pollution, wildlife exploitation, and environmental awareness. But, above all else, I want to experience the world and share my love for it with others, while also working to protect wildlife and ensure its future.
