About This Project

This project focuses on creating a documentary highlighting the estuary’s beauty and pollution impacts on blue mussels to inspire conservation. Building on work funded by TNC and NGS, the project integrates education, citizen science and storytelling.

The documentary will serve as a catalyst for change, paired with community-led initiatives, estuary clean-ups and water quality monitoring, involving residents/schools, fosterinh environmental responsibility and scalable conservation efforts.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The Conwy estuary has ecologically significant, linking freshwater and marine ecosystems. As a local resident and marine biology student at Bangor University, I’m committed to tackling environmental challenges in this area. Earlier this year, I interned with Extern, in partnership with TNC and NGS, focusing on blue mussels in the Conwy River. This led to a $2,000 seed grant, which I used to create a bilingual children's book about pollution, featuring characters addressing issues like sewage, flooding, heavy metals and agricultural runoff. As filter feeders, mussels accumulate pollutants, which lead to population decline, ecosystem heath impairments and bioaccumulation risks for humans consuming contaminated mussels.

What is the significance of this project?

My initiatives focus on different aspects of environmental problems in Conwy, aiming to raise awareness and address gaps in education. I offer approachable solutions to engage and educate the local community, such as hands on clean up, interactive workshops and creating creative resources for raising awareness. Projects like the Wild Oyster Conwy Project exemplify restoration efforts that engage schools and volunteers in fieldwork and workshops, promoting marine conservation and habitat restoration. This project will help manage and conserve the area, reducing plastic pollution for a healthier ecosystem. My goal is to cultivate a culture of environmental leadership through community education, ensuring long-term sustainability and positive change.

What are the goals of the project?

1. Create a Documentary I aim to document Conwy’s natural beauty and the impact of water pollution on its ecosystems. The film will contrast wildlife and pollution, serving as a call to action, and will be screened in mainly schools, as well as nursing homes, and town halls to engage the community. Partnering with wildlife filmmaker Matteo Clarke will ensure a high-quality production. With my global connections, I plan to screen the documentary internationally to raise awareness about environmental issues.

2. Community-Based Monitoring I will organize monthly community outings with local students to collect water quality samples and contribute to cleanups, contributing to Natural Resources Wales' dataset and engaging the community in citizen science and conservation.