Salmon of Steel: The Story of Sheffield’s Salmon

Ecologists from the University of Sheffield join environmentalists from the Don Catchment Rivers Trust to tell the story of the River Don’s Atlantic Salmon, and how pioneering research could help us track the recovery of this iconic species.

Local historians, environmentalists and ecologists come together to celebrate the regeneration of the River Don and the return of the iconic salmon. Highlights included 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 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.