Salmon of Steel: Steel City River Walk
Local historians, environmentalists and ecologists take you on a journey along the River Don to tell the story of the river and how it has shaped Sheffield.
About the project
Local historians, environmentalists and ecologists come together to celebrate the regeneration of the River Don and the return of the iconic salmon. Highlights include the Salmon of Steel itself, a 7ft sculpture of a leaping salmon made by Scrap Metal Artist Jason Heppenstall; a beautiful trail map, illustrated by Sophie Carter; and a podcast, in which the invited speakers reveal the story of the river. The project grew out of an earlier collaboration between the Don Catchment Rivers Trust and Dr Deborah Dawson, a conservation geneticist at the University, investigating the return of Atlantic salmon to Sheffield after an absence of 200 years.
The Salmon of Steel exhibition is available to view online, and the sculpture is on display outside Sheffield Railway Station.
Credits
The Podcast
- Professor John Moreland, Department of Archaeology
- Dr Ed Shaw, Don Catchment Rivers Trust
- Chris Firth MBE, Don Catchment Rivers Trust
- Sally Hyslop, Don Catchment Rivers Trust
- Paul Richards, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust
- Lizzie Dealey, Canal and River Trust
- Recorded and produced by Kitty Turner
Curation
- Part of Festival of the Mind 2020