Empowering Young Voices: A Creative Documentary Filmmaker’s Journey with Restoring Ratty
As a creative documentary filmmaker, some of my most rewarding projects are those where I step back and hand the camera—and the story—over to others.
One of the best examples of this was my collaboration with young people from three Northumberland schools, working alongside the Northumberland Wildlife Trust on their inspiring Restoring Ratty project.
Restoring Ratty is a pioneering Northumberland wildlife conservation initiative led by Northumberland Wildlife Trust in partnership with Forestry England and Tyne Rivers Trust. Launched in 2017 and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project set out to bring water voles back to Kielder Forest and the wider Tyne catchment. Once widespread across the UK’s rivers and wetlands, water voles have suffered dramatic population declines—over 90% lost since the 1970s—due to habitat loss and predation by invasive American mink.
Through the project, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and partners have restored and improved hundreds of kilometres of riverside habitats, creating the conditions water voles need to thrive. The team has carried out extensive mink control, habitat management, and community engagement. Since the project began, thousands of captive-bred water voles have been released into carefully chosen sites in Kielder, aiming to build resilient, connected populations across the landscape.
In 2017, the Trust invited me to help document part of this journey. But instead of simply filming it myself, we decided to empower young people from local schools to become filmmakers and storytellers. The result was a short film made entirely by the students, using iPods and basic sound equipment, after I gave them a crash course in filmmaking techniques.
From the first day, the young filmmakers threw themselves into the project. Their enthusiasm and curiosity shine through the footage, as does their genuine passion for wildlife conservation. As one student declared excitedly on camera:
“We’re on a trip. Think this is going to be the best day ever? I can feel it.”
They captured not only the technical details of conservation work but also shared their thoughts on why saving water voles matters. It was clear they understood how vital the species is to healthy ecosystems and how local conservation efforts connect to the broader challenge of protecting wildlife across the country.
Their footage also reveals a strong sense of wonder and responsibility. As another participant said:
“It’s a good thing that we’re helping the environment by releasing the water voles.”
The film ends with a moment of pure joy, as the students watch the animals scurry back into the wild:
“We feel very happy when releasing a new animal into the wild. There he goes—watch him go!”
The film was edited collaboratively between myself and members of the Restoring Ratty team, who helped ensure the conservation details were correct while preserving the authenticity and energy of the students’ storytelling.
Projects like this remind me why I love working as a creative documentary filmmaker. It’s not just about beautiful images or technical polish—it’s about amplifying voices, especially those who rarely get to hold the camera. In this case, the young people became both witnesses and advocates for wildlife conservation, helping tell the story of how communities are working to bring water voles back to Northumberland.
Restoring Ratty continues to release water voles annually, building on years of dedicated conservation work. Thanks to projects like this, and the voices of young people determined to protect nature, the future looks a little brighter for Ratty—and for all of our precious native wildlife.
IIf you’d like to see more of my films exploring nature and the environment, visit my Nature Films collection.