Prince of Wales celebrates WWT's 70th
The Prince of Wales met volunteers and staff at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s (WWT) Slimbridge headquarters to celebrate the charity’s 70th anniversary and hear about their global work.
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) creates and protects wetland habitats to provide water, food and shelter for people and wildlife. They save Critically Endangered species around the world from extinction.
Their 10 UK Wetland Centres and reserves inspire a million visitors a year to enjoy being close to nature.
HRH has close links with WWT, having first visited Slimbridge as a child in the 1950s. He has been WWT’s President since 1979.
The Prince met Falcon Scott, son of WWT’s founder Sir Peter Scott and grandson of Captain Robert Falcon Scott of the Antarctic. Falcon showed him the wetland created by Peter outside their family house. This became the first of hundreds of wetlands and conservation projects WWT has undertaken to help people and wildlife in 70 countries around the world.
HRH then met with longstanding volunteers and staff from WWT’s wetland centres across the UK. Their roles included habitat creation, scientific research, and helping visitors get close to wildlife, and get the most out of their visit.
He viewed a presentation outlining some of WWT’s global projects and how their wetland creation work is helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. Finally he cut the charity’s 70th anniversary cake.
Speaking to a reception attended by supporters, volunteers and staff across WWT, the Prince of Wales said:
“What I think is so exciting is to have seen the development of all WWT’s wetlands and reserves all around the country - and the fact that you’re still making them.
“So I was hugely excited to hear about the one further down the Severn at Bridgwater Bay, and the fact that you’re able to encourage and develop these sites for the benefit of so many people, and particularly of course for the benefit of so much of our wildfowl and wader populations which are so often under threat in one place or another.”
“I just wanted to use this opportunity above all to congratulate all of you for the immense amount of hard work and effort you put into this; for the devotion and dedication you’ve shown to the whole cause; and also just to say that so many organisations like WWT wouldn’t really be able to do what they do without all the marvellous volunteers.”
HRH spent 45 minutes talking to guests, including longstanding volunteer Dot Jones who said:
“He was very interested in finding out about the hard work that the volunteers put in, he’s very knowledgeable about climate change and conservation.
Craftsperson Alex Bond said:
“He was interested in what we do out and about in the grounds – day to day tasks. He was interested in new builds, in terms of hides. He wanted to know our involvement in that. He said sorry for taking up our time.”
WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray CBE said:
“It was lovely for our supporters, volunteers and members to have Prince Charles take the time to chat with them and hear about their hard work and enthusiasm.
“We really appreciate Prince Charles’ support for our work. It was a great opportunity to show him how our visitor attraction at Slimbridge has evolved into a global operation, creating wetlands around the world that mitigate climate change through storing carbon and reducing flooding and pollution.”
