Student’s film about adders wins award

4 March 2026

A student at the University of Cumbria has won a Royal Television Society’s Student Award. Beth Dicken-Jones received the ‘Saving the Planet’ category with her short film, ‘Vanishing Vipers’.

Beth’s film highlights our native adder, with footage filmed in the North Pennines and information about the Adders Up project, which is led by the North Pennines National Landscape team and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Northumbrian Water Branch Out Fund. Henry Barrett, Conservation Officer with the North Pennines National Landscape team, was interviewed alongside RSPB Geltsdale Reserve Manager, Ian Ryding, and conservation volunteer, Adam Moan.

We asked Beth a few questions about her film:

1. Why did you make the film?
I’ve been learning about the art of filmmaking as part of my Wildlife Media degree course at the University of Cumbria. My background is in conservation and rewilding so for my Year 2 film project, I set out to make a film that could somehow spotlight an endangered species not in the public eye. I wanted to raise awareness and hopefully make a difference.

Keith Partridge, my filmmaking lecturer, gave a really helpful critical eye on my film at each stage.

The tagline for my film is: “The film challenges the myths and fears that have long surrounded the British Adder, revealing an animal more fragile than feared. The audience is invited to re-assess the reptile not as a threat but as a symbol of balance and resilience in Britain’s changing landscape”.

2. Provide a comment about adders in the North Pennines
I was really interested to learn about the Adders Up Project in the North Pennines and the work it has been doing, in conjunction with the Newcastle University to monitor and record the species. This is absolutely vital for their survival.

3. How was your experience winning the award?
I genuinely felt really honoured to have been nominated by my uni for the award, then shortlisted by the RTS (NE and Borders, Students Awards) in their Saving the Planet category and then to actually have won was so special and encouraging too! My film now goes forward to the national student awards.

4. What did you hope to achieve with the film? Why did you choose adders?
I saw my first adder two years ago and fell in love with them. After learning more about them and realising how vulnerable they are, I became worried that they would become extinct without most people even knowing they existed.

As well as being of interest to people who are concerned about the decline of the adder, I’m hoping that my film will reach people who know nothing about them or who have been influenced by the scaremongering negative press they receive in our media. I recently completed my uni dissertation about the public perception of the species and the role of the press in influencing this, and found it to be a real issue.

The film is due to be shown at a conference organised by the Hungarian Meadow Viper Project next month and also at the North Pennines National Landscape team’s Northern Adders conference on 14 March at Tullie, Carlisle.

5. Why is the North Pennines special to you?
I love the North Pennines area as it’s so rugged and remote. You can walk for hours without seeing another person. There is incredible diversity of habitats, with a wide range of flora and fauna. It’s a very special place.

Watch the film below.

Congratulations to Beth on winning the award. University of Cumbria BA Wildlife Media students study ethical conservation filmmaking and wildlife photography. Three of the four films created by students on the course won their respective categories at the recent Royal Television Society Student Awards.

The Northern Adders Conference takes place on Saturday 14 March at Tullie, Carlisle from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Beth’s film will be shown during the conference. Find out more and book a place here.

If you would like to contribute to adder conservation in the North Pennines National Landscape, please visit our events section to sign up to one of our volunteer adder survey events. To find out more about the North Pennines National Landscape team’s Adders Up project and volunteer opportunities, please email Sarah Ingwersen, Education and Engagement Officer, or Samuel Betts, Conservation Officer. Remember to contribute your wildlife sightings to iRecord.