Our South Downs, Your National Park

Your National Park is about belonging — to nature, to ourselves, to our communities. A collection of films in the making, it’s about the diverse, enduring and interconnected relationships between people and their unique living landscape known as the South Downs. 

In 2020 we began a journey gathering and telling the stories of people and their deeply rooted relationships with the South Downs National Park. A film project we and our camerawoman and editor Angie Thomas had expected to take three months. We had no idea that a global pandemic would derail us. 

Two and half years later, we’re still trying to complete this epic collection. More dedicated than ever. And almost there.

Your National Park is a collection of films exploring the deep but also everyday connections between the people who live and work in the South Downs and their environment. It holds up a mirror of possibilities to our own discovery of the nature, culture and history on our doorsteps.

We’re certain these stories will stand the test of time and help even more people to connect and be inspired by the South Downs.

The aim is to inspire our audiences to find for themselves what makes the national park so special, to them and to others. To instil a sense of belonging to the South Downs: a uniquely living landscape. More than that, we hope these films move people to take action, whether that’s a small act of community awareness or a commitment to conservation through volunteering. 

Following the stories

We followed the stories tenaciously, covering hundreds of kilometres, dozens of habitats and communities, and countless pathways that make up this wonderful living landscape. We braved the brambles, waded through rivers, froze in sub-zero temperatures and also scorched ourselves silly while chasing tiny butterflies.

After hours of searching for those vital nature indicators, we found ourselves halfway down a steep ravine, cameras poised on a leaf. Then, much to the delight of butterfly expert Neil Hulme, our subject, we pulled off the unexpected. We captured what hadn’t been before: the incredibly rare and intimate moment of a pair of Duke of Burgundy butterflies mating. Before conservation efforts, the species had been close to disappearing. 

This was just one of a whole heap of surprising, moving, thought-provoking moments on our journey. Many of which we’re looking forward to sharing as part of a fuller case-study later on.

“Overcoming set-backs, namely Covid restrictions, Neo have unearthed the very real, people-centric stories behind the National Park’s ambitions,” says Luke Walter, digital & social media officer at South Downs National Park Authority. “Throughout the project they have been diligent and sensitive, navigating complex subject areas which has allowed participants to tell their authentic stories of connection to the landscape.

“We’re certain these stories will stand the test of time and help even more people to connect and be inspired by the South Downs.”

We’re now a dormouse’s whisker close to completing the project. And we’ll feel elated when the films are published. At the same time, though, we’ll miss venturing away from our desks to be in nature and meet the impressive people who’re giving that nature a helping hand in their own unique ways.

The South Downs National Park team did post the first two on social media back in 2020, just to test the water. Even while on pause due to the pandemic, this project, we like to think, inspired hope and brought the outdoors into people’s locked-down lives at a time when it was needed most.

Full case study coming soon