Videos

Find out more about our project from our videos below!

Unlocking the Severn project videos

Welcome to our videos page. Here you can find out more about Unlocking the Severn from the videos that have been created for our project. Find out about the fish passes on the River Severn, learn about the endangered twaite shad fish, discover the fish we’ve seen through Diglis Fish Window, plus lots more!

Don’t forget to give our project documentary a watch. The film is a 15 minute story of our project, produced by award-winning film maker Nina Constable and presented by renowned presenter Monty Halls.

Unlocking the Severn project documentary

Project documentary for Unlocking the Severn. Created by award-winning filmmaker Nina Constable and presented by Monty Halls, our short film captures the aims and successes of our project.

A snapshot of the spring fish migration

Views through Diglis Fish Window during the 2022 River Severn spring migration

What have we seen through Diglis Fish Window?

A collection of videos from our scientific monitoring camera, showing some of the fish swimming past Diglis Fish Window.

Up River! A Shadventure on the River Severn

Join Jill and Jack, two young shad as they journey up river for a shadventure on the River Severn! Learn all about the problems that weirs cause for this rare migratory fish and how a fish pass can be the solution to get them back up river to spawn! Produced with the drawings and voices and very creative input of the children of Cherry Orchard Primary School in Worcester.

An Introduction to twaite shad

Ever heard of the twaite shad? Believe it or not they were once very abundant in the River Severn and were a fish favoured by Tudor royalty! Since the installation of weirs in the 1800s their population numbers crashed. Unlocking the Severn was started to restore the shad population and enable them to reach their native spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Severn.

Lincomb Fish Pass: celebrating its completion with Stacey Corcoran

In this short film, project manager for Keir, Stacey Corcoran, shares her experiences during the build of Lincomb fish pass. She reflects upon the challenges of building a fish pass in a pandemic, the excitement and pride from her team when the pass was completed, and tells a delightful anecdote about an eager shoal of fish!

Lincomb Fish Pass Animation

The short film explains how Lincomb fish pass works and how fish, including the endangered twaite shad will be able to use the fish pass to find a route past the weir and thus return to their historic spawning grounds.

Unlocking the Severn completes the historic Diglis fish pass!

This is the biggest deep vertical slot fish pass in England and Wales. It will allow the rare and endangered twaite shad to swim past Worcester on their annual spawning migration for the first time in nearly 180 years, since Victorian Navigation Weirs were built across the UK's longest river.

Salmon of the Severn talk with Chris Bainger

In this talk, Chris provides some interesting insights into salmon lifecycle as well as explaining the importance of the River Severn to salmon migration. Learn about the threats these fish are facing from climate change and barriers to migration, and find out how conservation efforts (including our fish passes) are working to prevent the disappearance of these iconic fish from our rivers.

River Story a poem for Unlocking the Severn

The story of our project, told in prose by one of our volunteers.

Unlocking the Severn features in 'Eel Rewilding' by RAZOR, CGTN Europe.

Find out how Unlocking the Severn's fish passes are helping eels and other migratory fish on the River Severn. Unlocking the Severn segment from 13:25

Bevere Fish Pass Opening - September 2020

In this video we see the completed natural-style by pass channel at Bevere opened to allow the river water through. For the first time in more than 170 years, river fish - including the rare twaite shad - now have free passage around Bevere weir.

Unlocking the Severn - project documentary trailer (with captions)

For #WorldRiversDay this video trailer for our project documentary gives a great oversight of our project #UnlockingTheSevern Partners: Canal River Trust, Severn Rivers Trust, Environment Agency, Natural England. With thanks to our funders: National Lottery Heritage Fund and EU LIFE programme. Film: Nina Constable Media

Severn Series- What are riverflies and what can they tell us about the health of rivers?

In this talk we delve into the wonderful world of riverflies. Unlocking the Severn Volunteer Officer Rachel explains what riverfly are, how to identify them and how they can be used to monitor the health of our rivers.

Severn Series- Why do we need healthy rivers? (with BSL)

In this webinar we are joined by representatives from Unlocking the Severn project partners, Canal & River Trust and Severn Rivers Trust, to discuss river health. Our panellists provide perspectives on a range of topics, including why we need healthy rivers and the different ways in which river health is impacted by human action. They also share information about some of the vital conservation work being undertaken on and around the River Severn and ways in which we can all individually make a positive difference.

Severn Series - Hidden Journeys within our Rivers (with BSL)

In this virtual talk we share how Unlocking the Severn, a once-in-a-lifetime conservation and river engagement project, is researching fish migration in the UK’s longest river, the webinar goes into the biology behind migration and the challenges that migratory fish face on their journeys.

Severn Series - How is Citizen Science unlocking the River Severn?

This talk in our Severn Series gives an introduction to citizen science and how we are using it to learn about rare and endangered fish in the River Severn. Unlocking the Severn Volunteer Officer Rachel provides an insight into the use of citizen science as a conservation tool, sharing success stories from the River Severn and around the UK. We also share details on how you can become a citizen scientist (wherever you live!) and contribute to our research!

Severn Series - Discover the Fish of the Severn

In this virtual talk we provide an introduction to the fish within the River Severn. This talk is suitable for people with little or no knowledge about the fish in our river, from the upper reaches of the river in Wales, all the way down to the estuary that flows into the Bristol Channel 200 miles downstream. Learn about the range of fascinating species and their role in the river ecosystem, with amazing adaptations.

Severn Series - What is a fish pass and what are the challenges of building one?

In this talk we explain what a fish pass is for and share some of the challenges that our project, Unlocking the Severn, has faced in building these complex structures in an unpredictable environment alongside the river. Project Engineer Richard Leigh, shares his expertise and experiences, and gives a unique insight into the design, build and function of these impressive structures.

Severn Series - Unlocking the Severn for People and Wildlife (with BSL)

In this virtual talk we share how Unlocking the Severn, a once-in-a-lifetime conservation and river engagement project, is using modern engineering to reopen the UK’s longest river for shad and other endangered species, how we are connecting communities with their river and how you can be involved.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 9

Our 9th and final stop on our Journey Up The Severn for World Fish Migration Day. Here's Jennie to roundup the video series.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 8 - Severn Valley Country Park

Stop 8 on our Journey Up The Severn for #WorldFishMigrationDay - Severn Valley Country Park. Here's Project Manager Alex, to show you our river-themed play trail and share details about our new exhibition.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 7 - Lincomb Fish Pass

Stop 7 on our Journey Up The Severn for #WorldFishMigrationDay- Lincomb Fish Pass. Join Programme Manager Rich inside the farthest upstream fish pass being constructed by Unlocking the Severn.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 6 (Part 2) - Bevere Fish Pass, Worcester

Stop 6 (Part 2) - Journey Up The Severn for #WorldFishMigrationDay. We're excited to share the first play of our film of the Bevere Fish Pass opening. This film marks the moment when we let the river water through and fish can finally swim freely past this weir for the first time in more than 170 years!

Journey up the Severn - Stop 6 (Part 1) - Bevere Fish Pass, Worcester

Stop 6 (Part 1) on our Journey up the Severn - the NEW Bevere Fish Pass with Charles Crundwell from the Environment Agency. Charles is the technical fish specialist on our Unlocking the Project Severn team and the ultimate expert on twaite shad!

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 5 - Diglis Weir Fish Pass, Worcester

Stop 5 on our Journey Up The Severn for #WorldFishMigrationDay2020. Join Programme Director Jason Leach inside our largest fish pass on the River Severn at Diglis Weir!

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 4 - Diglis Island, Worcester

Stop 4 on our Journey Up The Severn for #WorldFishMigrationDay2020 - Diglis Island! Step onto this secret island in the Severn with Rosie, our Education Officer, for a sneak peak of the historic lock gate workshop and an insight into how we'll be using the island as a hub for school groups.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 3 - Upper Lode Weir, Tewkesbury

Stop 3 on our Journey Up The Severn for #WorldFishMigrationDay2020 - Tewkesbury. Here we join our Volunteering Officer Rachel, at Upper Lode weir, a really important site for monitoring the shad and a focus for our citizen science activity.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 2 - National Waterways Museum, Gloucester

Stop 2 on our Journey Up The Severn for World Fish Migration Day 2020 is National Waterways Museum Gloucester where we are unveiling Glimmer, our community arts project! Our Journey Up the Severn series takes you on a trip up the UK's longest river, sharing insights into the rare twaite shad and our project to unlock the River Severn for people and wildlife.

Journey Up The Severn - Stop 1

Stop 1 on our Journey Up The Severn for World Fish Migration Day 2020. Here Steph gives an overview of the day ahead... Our Journey Up the Severn series takes you on a trip up the UK's longest river, sharing insights into the rare twaite shad and our project to unlock the River Severn for people and wildlife.

The River Severn at Upper Lode, near Tewkesbury

Discover the River Severn at the Upper Lode Weir, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. This an important location for monitoring the shad on their annual migration. And a really beautiful place to spend time by the river!

Unlocking the Severn - schools activity spring/summer 2019

Visit www.unlockingthesevern.co.uk/schools to find out more about arranging a visit for your school