Why Not Scotland? London Film Premiere, 20 June 2024

The European Nature Trust (TENT) is excited to announce the charitable London premiere of Why Not Scotland? on June 20, 2024. This compelling film follows the journey of a young Scot who poses the pressing question of whether Scotland can undergo a nature recovery similar to, or better than, that seen across Europe.

About the Film
Produced by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, and funded by TENT, Why Not Scotland? is a feature-length documentary, accompanying Flo Blackbourn, a young Glaswegian naturalist, as she travels around Europe discovering places where nature is making a spectacular comeback. Inspired by these stories of hope, she wonders: Why Not Scotland?

The film showcases the tireless efforts of communities, charities, farmers and landowners dedicated to reversing Scotland’s nature crisis, and highlights the importance of rewilding for biodiversity, and communities.

A Film Premiere with Purpose
100% of ticket sales and the auction proceeds on the night will be donated to TENT’s charitable partners, SCOTLAND The Big Picture. Their vision is to create a vast network of rewilded land and water across Scotland, where wildlife flourishes and people thrive. They aim to achieve this by driving public and political support for rewilding, influencing more land to be committed to rewilding, working to return missing species, and developing a local economy based on rewilding through business development.

After the film, there will be a panel discussion and audience Q&A with Peter Cairns, Executive Director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, Morag Watson, Co-founder and director of Realise Earth, and the film’s narrator, Flo Blackbourn. A reception with drinks and networking will follow.

Context: The Challenge and the Opportunity
Scotland was once wild, a forest ecosystem teeming with elks, wolves, bears and lynx. However, by the early 20th century, only 5% of the land was still forested, and all these native species had disappeared. Today, Scotland is ranked 212th out of 240 countries and territories for its state of nature. Intensive agriculture, climate change, and other factors such as pollution and non-native species are pushing 11% of its species towards extinction.

In contrast, many parts of Europe are seeing a resurgence in ‘wild rivers’, increased forest cover and a return of long-lost species like beavers, bears and wolves. Bison have experienced an 18,000% increase since the 1960s; the Iberian lynx has recovered from 100 individuals in the early 2000s to more than 1,600 today. The EU’s ‘Nature Restoration Law’ and the UN commitment to protect 30% of all land and seas by 2030 highlight policies that could deliver progress. Can Scotland stage a similar revival of its own natural environment?

The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, supported by a coalition of over 20 organisations, including TENT, is leading the rewilding revolution and aiming to set the global standard for rewilding. The efforts are making significant strides, with over 2% of Scotland’s land undergoing rewilding across 160,000 hectares. These projects range from community woodlands to large-scale partnerships, contributing to a resilient ecosystem and economy. Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio recently highlighted these efforts to his 60 million Instagram followers, bringing global attention to the cause.

Event Details
Date
June 20 2024

Timings
18.00 Arrival
18.15 Film screening, panel discussion, Q&A and auction
20.15 Food, drinks, networking and party

Location
The Marylebone Theatre, Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London NW1 6XT

Tickets
£95, including food and drinks. Available here.

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