The National Trust is celebrating 40 years of Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve with a new film.

The film, commissioned to mark the anniversary, will be screened at Ulverston and at Kendal Mountain Festival.

It aims to reflect on the unique and important nature reserve, and its significance to visitors, caretakers, and the wildlife that inhabit it.

Nancy Burditt, senior programming and partnerships officer for the National Trust in South East Cumbria and Morecambe Bay, said: "Not many places can host such an array of scarce wildlife yet be a green space where people can breathe and see nature up close.

"Our anniversary film will be a legacy to Sandscale.

"It will capture what makes it such a special place for visitors but also such a crucial habitat for the wildlife that calls it home."

The reserve is home to internationally significant wildlife, including some of the rarest and most protected species in the UK.

Natterjack toads, an increasingly threatened species, make up one quarter of the national population at Sandscale Haws.

The reserve is also a haven for migratory bird populations of international importance, including pintail, red knot, and common redshank.

Sam Stalker, lead ranger for the National Trust in South East Cumbria and Morecambe Bay, said: "This year marks 40 years under our care and throughout that period we’ve seen significant change; from tides and storms reshaping the frontal dunes, changes to the way visitors use the site and of course the thousands of hours our rangers and volunteers have spent working on site.

"40 years of clearing scrub in the winter to keep the sand dunes open and keeping pools wet for natterjacks to spawn, monitoring plants, flowers, fungi, birds and invertebrates which make this unique place their home."

Dedicated rangers and volunteers work year-round to keep the rugged landscape a happy home for wildflowers and wildlife.

However, Sandscale Haws has come under threat from development in recent years.

The National Trust, along with a coalition of other nature and landscape charities, objected on the grounds that any development would pose a serious threat to the internationally significant nature reserve.

Dan Taylor, general manager of the National Trust in South East Cumbria and Morecambe Bay, said: "We want to ensure that local people can continue to enjoy this special place, balancing our conservation work to safeguard a very sensitive ecosystem whilst providing a warm welcome.

"We are concerned that the scale of recent development proposals would risk irreparable harm to the fragile wildlife habitat."

The film will reflect this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of preserving the reserve for future generations.

A programme of screenings will be shown at Roxy Cinema in Ulverston from November 15 to 22, every evening before the feature film.

The film will also be shown at Kendal Mountain Festival from November 21 to 24.