My name is Libby Penman and I am a filmmaker based in Glasgow. For the past year and a bit (amidst the madness of Covid) I have been keeping myself sane by spending loads of time out in nature filming wildlife. With the amazing support of The Pebble Trust, I have been working on a documentary about becoming a wildlife filmmaker during a biodiversity crisis – interviewing a whole range of experts along the way including wildlife filmmaking legend Gordon Buchanan, the WWF Scotland, marine biologists, youth climate campaigners and lots more. With the hope that this project will inspire others to reconnect with nature here in Scotland.
Communicating and showcasing the natural world is an absolute passion of mine. And although I didn’t get into wildlife filmmaking the conventional way (for me it all started filming at the skatepark) I want to show that anyone can get involved in this industry and can tell stories about nature. The film is going to cover some really important topics from why underwater kelp forests in Scotland need protection to how to make your garden as wildlife friendly as possible as well as what you can do as an individual to help with the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity.
I have actually been given a volunteer team leader position at COP26 so will be at the event in Glasgow. This is such an essential event for the future of the whole world, literally! And it is really exciting that Scotland is going to be hosting. It is time for us to step up to the mark and be leaders in this situation.
I am just wrapping up a very busy few months completing my Master’s Degree in Wildlife and so I am now about to go back to working full steam ahead on the post production/ final stages of the documentary I have been working on with Pebble Trust. Can’t wait for you all to see it, stay tuned!