An Online film screening will explore the urban nature of Salford featuring a Q&A session with Dr Luke Blazejewski as part of Go Green Salford 2021.
Dr Luke Blazejewski began his filmmaking journey at College and studied at University and this eventually brought him to Salford to study for Masters in Wildlife Documentary Production.
Luke Blazejewski said that: “The lecturers on that course really opened my eyes to the power of film and the magic of wildlife.
“Ever since I’ve been driven to use these two forces to educate and connect people with the natural world.”
Over the years Luke has been lucky enough to see a movement start building around nature conservation in Salford, and being a part of that community is wonderful.
Luke Blazejewski said: “If my films inspire just one person to go out and visit a new green space in Salford, I’d consider that a success.
“The city of Salford is over 60% greenspace, and has over 60 parks spread across it, as well as wonderful habitats such as Kersal Wetlands and the River Irwell, which play a central role for many of the city’s species.
“We often think of nature as something we have to leave our cities to go and see, but that’s not how it works at all.”
Dr. Blazejewski became interested in urban nature as his subject for film and photography when he first came up to Salford and fell in love with the River Irwell he was amazed at the bird life and plant life I was finding along its banks.
However, Luke Blazejewski said: “It wasn’t until I started talking to people about these experiences – and heard some of the responses I was getting – did I realise how disconnected the city was from its river”.
Dr Luke believes that many People still consider the river Irwell to be a product of its industrial past, which is a really significant one, however , the river has changed a lot in the last 50 years.
He explains: “If any of the city’s Victorians could come back and walk along the banks of the Irwell today – and see the birds, the butterflies, the wildflowers – they probably wouldn’t recognise it.
Dr Luke Blazejewski concludes: “I really think our relationship with the natural world is fundamental, and we don’t need to all be scientists to understand or develop a relationship with the wildlife in our cities. Learning a bit about our local birds, butterflies, wildflowers, really opens up our understanding of the world, and can help us think more deeply about our impact on the planet – opening up conversations about climate change and conservation.”
The event will open with a screening of one of Luke’s films – Salford Wetlands, which explores the wildlife of our local wetlands area.
This will be followed by his talk on the importance and benefits of the relationship between nature and people in urban environments. There will also be an opportunity to ask Luke questions at the end.
Time & date: 10th March 2021, 14:00-15:00
Click this Link to access this event
You can find out more about his work on his website.
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