Venturing into a Cornish cave for the first time in Autumn 2018, I was extremely surprised to find a tremendous amount of life. From large cave spiders coating the walls to my first encounter of roosting bats hanging from the cave ceiling. I immediately wanted to share this incredible wildlife experience with as many people as possible, which is where the story of my documentary Winter Refuge begins.

The documentary is mainly comprised of wildlife behavioural sequences, following the lives of a few select animals. The first story had to be about the spiders (Meta menardi). These arachnids are among the largest we have in the UK, although they are rarely seen as they spend their entire adult lives in total darkness. I was mesmerised by their intricate egg sacks that hung from the cave ceiling, which soon became a focal point of the story. I was even lucky enough to arrive at the cave a few days after the spiderlings emerged from their egg sack as the cave ceiling was crawling with tiny cave spiders.

Another animal I wanted to show was the bats that occasionally roosted at the back of the cave I was filming in. They are, however, a highly protected species and any disturbance to the bats could be fatal as they begin to enter torpor more frequently during the time of filming. I therefore got in contact with Cornwall Bat Group, and after a few weeks of planning allowed me to film the greater and lesser horseshoe bats during one of their winter hibernation surveys. It was remarkable to see these extraordinary animals so close!

Logistically, filming in a cave was quite a challenge. Several bags of kit had to be transported to the location and then lugged into the cave, including lighting, battery packs, a Ronin-S, tracking rail, camera, and tripod. Inside the cave was extremely cramped, less than a meter in width and not tall enough to stand in. Not to mention dripping water from the cave ceiling and puddles flooding the floor. This made filming very difficult. I spent many hours at a time over numerous visits to gather enough footage to tell the stories I had wanted to share from my initial research.

Once I had reached picture lock during the edit, it was then time to write a script for the voiceover. I thought there was only one person who could narrate this documentary which sheds light on some of the creepy, yet beautiful creatures that share the darkness: Gillian Burke. I was extremely fortunate enough to work with such a talented naturalist on this project, as she brought a whole new energy to the film.

I hope this documentary shows people the incredible wildlife that can be found in caves and educate viewers about wildlife they may not often see. Ultimately, during this adventure into the darkness, I want to inspire people to explore the natural world around them and seek the same thrill and enjoyment I feel when watching animals.