Newton Stewart Walking Festival aims to inspire nature restoration with screening of Biosphere film
Organisers of this year’s Newton Stewart Walking Festival have invited the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership to screen their documentary short Heart of the Biosphere as a special evening event on Saturday 10th May, an opportunity for the public to take a closer look at some of the area devastated by the wildfire that tore through Galloway and East Ayrshire a few weeks ago.
The film was shot over twelve months to capture seasonal changes at Merrick-Kells and Silver Flowe, a place regarded as one of Scotland’s last true wilderness regions. The storyboard and script were developed by the Biosphere’s officer team with support from local partners including Forestry & Land Scotland, RSPB Scotland, and the South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre. The unique habitats at the heart of the Biosphere are the foundation of south Scotland’s UNESCO status, which was awarded in 2012 in recognition of an internationally important natural and cultural heritage.
The fire which broke out in an exceptionally dry spring period is already recognised as the largest wildfire in southwest Scotland since 2007. It is estimated that around 7,000 hectares (70km²) of land has been affected, with the loss of invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals and ground-nesting birds, and as well as rare species of upland flora. Discussions on how to support nature recovery are underway with restoration work likely to take several years and involve collaboration between multiple public and third sector organisations.
Newton Stewart Walking Festival (Walkfest) is now in its 21st year and attracts walkers from across the UK for a week-long programme of outdoor adventures throughout the Galloway Hills and along the Solway coast. This year’s programme has 31 routes with expert guides and transport provided. Run entirely by volunteers, Walkfest 2025 has been awarded the Biosphere’s Sustainable Event Charter for the second consecutive year in recognition of organisers’ support for the environment, economy, and local communities.
The Heart of the Biosphere screening is Walkfest’s special Saturday evening event which is a highlight of the festival each year. In addition to the film there will be an illustrated talk by the GSAB Partnership’s Nature Recovery Officer Antoine Lemaire, with the opportunity for attendees to hear more about the ecological significance of the UNESCO Biosphere’s remote Core Areas.
Joan Mitchell, Chair of Newton Stewart Walking Festival and a Biosphere Trustee, said: “Heart of the Biosphere was already an incredibly important film for widening understanding of some of Scotland’s most fragile landscapes and we are very much looking forward to sharing 
this message further in light of the extensive wildfire damage to the Galloway Hills. It’s especially important to keep this in the public eye and we’re hoping this special event as part of Walkfest will generate support for all the agencies involved in survey and recovery work in the years ahead.”
Ed Forrest, Director of the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, said: “Conservation and nature restoration in Scotland is heavily dependent on the efforts of charitable organisations like ours and we are hugely grateful for the public’s interest and concern after this year’s wildfires, and to the organisers of Newton Stewart Walking Festival for inviting us to be part of their programme. Our intention in making Heart of the Biosphere was to connect people more closely with the UNESCO region and understand the value that designation represents. This is a beautiful documentary short that captured some astonishing footage over twelve months of filming and we’d like as many people as possible to come along, enjoy the film and take part in some really important conversation as well.”
Heart of the Biosphere will be shown at McMillan Hall, Newton Stewart at 7:30pm on Saturday 10th May. Tickets are £4 which includes refreshments and are available at the door on the night, or can be booked in advance via the Walkfest website (https://www.walkfestnewtonstewart.com/route-information.php?wID=32#bookonline).
The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership is a registered Scottish charity (SC044137) delivering projects in conservation, education, sustainable development and climate resilience. For more information about opportunities to get involved or to support their work, please email info@gsabiosphere.org.uk.
