September 16 (Wedmore, England) – The Somerset Eel Recovery Project is proud to announce that its recent gathering at the Redbrick Building in Glastonbury captured the attention of the natural history and conservation team at CNN, who developed a video on the subject. The footage aired on three programmes in six continents: namely, News Room, Connect the World, and Quest Means Business.
The video documents the important initiatives SERP is delivering in the Somerset region, and the potential for redeploying its unique community-led model globally. As well as touching on the impact of water engineering on eel migrations, with special reference to the Huntspill Tidal Barrier and Clyse Hole Weir, the team acknowledged the importance of education and outreach in creating the sentiment for innovative barrier solutions.
Hannah Strode, the group's Director of Education, was interviewed as part of the process. The team then spent the day with us filming in a variety of locations during the Somerset Eel Conference. held this summer in Glastonbury. A visit to St Benedict's in Glastonbury was a key highlight for the documentary team, who could see the relevance and reach of our work in the expressions and sentiments of the schoolchildren. The theory was a simple one: ‘if you want to engage a community, the best place to start is in a school with lots of young people'.
The Sustainable Eel Group plays an important role in supporting SERP in its social and environmental mission, and this was reflected in chairman Andrew Kerr's participation and support through the making of this short film. He offered some inspiring words on the eel and its plight, closing the video with the reflection that ‘we've already started to turn the corner, and we're making a difference; that eel is a story of hope; and that if enough of us want to make a difference we can band together and make positive change happen'.
“Call to Earth” is CNN’s commitment to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. In partnership with Rolex as part of their Perpetual Planet Initiative, their goal is to drive awareness, action and education around key issues, inspiring a blueprint for a more environmentally conscious life.
The full video is available to watch online. Search ‘Meet the school children saving Britain's eels' or click here.
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