Westcountry Rivers Trust – Rapid Response Catchments
When it comes to flooding, speed is everything. Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Rapid Response Catchments project, part of the Devon Resilience Innovation Project, is helping communities across the South West build resilience to extreme weather — not by fighting nature, but by working with it.
Their approach isn’t about concrete and steel. It’s about listening to the land, collaborating with landowners, and using natural materials to gently reshape the landscape. By slowing the flow of water at key points, they’re protecting homes, roads, farms, and habitats — all while creating new spaces for wildlife and people to enjoy.
We worked with the Trust to capture these interventions in action, giving a voice to the team behind the work and the communities who are already seeing the benefits.
The Challenge
Communities across the South West are increasingly vulnerable to flooding. Rapid run-off was not only affecting homes, roads, and farmland, but also disrupting livestock and closing public footpaths. Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT), working with the Devon Resilience Innovation Project, needed to show how their Rapid Response Catchment schemes help reduce flood risks while supporting local ecology and involving communities in the process.
Our Approach
We filmed on location in Whitchurch, Tavistock, and at a additional sites where WRT had implemented natural flood management schemes. Using a combination of on-the-ground and aerial footage, we captured the scale and subtlety of their work – showcasing how simple, nature-based solutions can have significant impact.
We interviewed WRT staff and landowners to bring out authentic stories from both sides – highlighting the trust, collaboration, and local empowerment at the heart of the project.
The Result
The film brings WRT’s approach to life, showing the environmental and community benefits of their work in a clear, engaging way. The visual style emphasised the Trust’s ethos of working with the land, not against it – no concrete or heavy engineering, just natural interventions with lasting impact.
The result is a film that not only demonstrates WRT’s technical expertise but captures the warmth and respect they bring to their work with local people.
See the story in action
See how Westcountry Rivers Trust is protecting communities through nature-based solutions
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