ABOUT

Concept
“To catch a fish, plant a tree.”
Film has the power to take complex ideas and make people feel personally connected to them. No Trees. No Seas. was created to support the wider No Trees No Seas campaign, an environmental initiative led by Plant One focused on restoring the relationship between forests, rivers and ocean life.
At the centre of the campaign is the idea of the “flowscape” — the movement of water, nutrients and life through a connected system linking land and sea. The project explores how the loss of temperate coastal forests impacts biodiversity, fish stocks, flooding, erosion and climate resilience, while reconnecting people with the landscapes they are part of.
The campaign has clear and measurable goals:
- Restore 500 hectares of “fish forests” within five years
- Raise £300,000 to support restoration work
- Build partnerships with landowners and NGOs
- Create educational content around the flowscape
- Support the operational work needed to deliver long-term environmental recovery

The role of the film was to translate these ideas into an emotional and culturally resonant story capable of reaching audiences beyond traditional environmental spaces.

Execution
The creative approach used feature documentary filmmaking as a long-term engagement tool for the campaign. Rather than creating a short awareness piece with a limited lifespan, the decision was made to produce a cinematic documentary capable of travelling through festivals, screenings, partnerships and live events while continuing to support fundraising and public engagement.
Guided by surfer and environmentalist Sam Bleakley, the film combines environmental science, surfing culture, mythology and lived experience to explore the hidden links between land and sea. Surfing became both a visual language and a way of reading environmental change — exploring movement, rhythm and interconnection through the idea of the flowscape.
The documentary blends observational filmmaking, poetic animation and cinematic coastal imagery to create an emotional connection with the subject matter while remaining grounded in real communities, scientists and restoration efforts.
Alongside the film, the campaign continues through public screenings, tree planting initiatives, environmental outreach and community engagement activities across Cornwall and beyond.

Results
While still in its early stages, No Trees. No Seas. is already demonstrating how film can drive real-world environmental engagement beyond the screen.
The documentary has become a central storytelling platform, helping translate complex ecological science into a message that audiences can emotionally connect with and actively support. Through screenings, events and partnerships, the project is building a growing community around the idea of reconnecting forests, rivers and ocean life.
The film is currently on a festival run and has generated increasing attention across environmental, cultural and surfing communities. Support from brands including Finisterre and Verdant Brewing Co. has helped bring the project into new spaces and audiences, while community screenings across Cornwall have created local conversations around restoration, climate resilience and collective responsibility.
Upcoming events, including the London premiere at Regent Street Cinema, continue to expand the reach of the campaign beyond Cornwall and introduce the flowscape message to wider national audiences.
Most importantly, the project is already helping support the wider goals of the No Trees No Seas campaign — raising awareness, building partnerships and driving fundraising towards the restoration “fish forests”.
By combining storytelling with practical environmental action, No Trees. No Seas. demonstrates how film can move beyond awareness alone — creating participation, cultural connection and momentum around long-term ecological restoration.