'Spoonies' take starring role in new C4 documentary
The Critically Endangered spoon-billed sandpiper will be stepping into the limelight this week when the first programme in a new C4 documentary series is broadcast at 7pm on Saturday.
China: Between Clouds and Dreams is a new five-part series which aims to tell the story of China’s relationship with nature and the environment, with special focus on the plight of the ‘spoonies’.
The tiny wader was facing extinction five years ago with fewer than 100 pairs left in the wilds of eastern Russia. Today, the success of a major conservation programme set up in 2012 by a partnership including the WWT, RSPB, BTO, Birds Russia and Moscow Zoo, means that another 111 birds have been added to the world population.
That is buying valuable time for a species under threat from habitat loss and hunting, as the coastal mudflats on which they depend to rest and refuel during migration are reclaimed for human use.
WWT Head of PR & Campaigns Peter Morris said:
“This film really brings home how the plight of the spoon-billed sandpiper is intertwined with the lives of the people of China. Both are facing challenges and unpredictable futures. It’s an inspiring story, the visuals are stunning, and how the story will turn out in years to come is up to all of us.”
The series interweaves the stories of the people of China with ecology and natural history to highlight the interdependence of humans and creatures. It begins with pupils at a primary school receiving a letter which takes them on a journey into the heart of the fight to save the spoon-billed sandpiper.
BAFTA award winning film maker Phil Agland spent three years filming the documentary, focusing on the spoonies to tell the story of the effects of global warming and ecological collapse as China strives for an ambitious new future. The film was shot for Chinese Central Television and will play to a global audience of 100 million.
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