WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire welcomes HRH The Prince of Wales

On 4 March, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s (WWT) Patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, visited Slimbridge Wetland Centre to celebrate the charity’s 75th anniversary.  The visit was the final event in a year of celebrations which began in 2021.

HRH The Prince of Wales met with Slimbridge staff, volunteers and visitors while officially opening the home of WWT’s founder Sir Peter Scott. He also joined the first Blue Recovery Leaders Group meeting, where a consortium of leading organisations pledged to help facilitate the creation of 100,000 hectares of healthy wetlands across the UK to fight the climate, nature and wellbeing crises.

Kevin Peberdy, Chief Operating Officer for WWT said; “We were delighted to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales to open Scott House, the place where WWT’s story began 75 years ago and where HRH The Prince of Wales visited the Scott family during his childhood. It was here that Sir Peter Scott chose to set up the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust after spotting two incredibly rare lesser white-fronted geese amongst a flock of white-fronted geese. After seeing seven different geese species on one day, Scott decided that ‘this was the place in which anyone who loved wild geese must live’.

“This visit cemented Slimbridge as the place for his conservation ambition. From the beginning, Scott wished to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for conservation with the public and education was key element of this, which was unusual at this time during the late 1940s. Visiting the Scott House Museum today is like stepping into the 1950s, this was not only a place of historical significance but it is also a family home.

“As we look to the future, we aim to continue Sir Peter’s legacy by inspiring our visitors to love wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them, and to take action to protect them. We know this is a cause close to our Patron HRH The Prince of Wales’s heart and whole heartedly welcome his continuing support for our charity”.

Since Sir Peter Scott first established Slimbridge, with one site and 1000 members, WWT has grown to ten UK sites, created and helped to protect thousands of hectares of wetlands around the world, and has more than 180,000 members. Today, the charity is calling for wetlands to be put centre stage in the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss and the mental health crisis. Wetlands are one of the most wildlife-rich habitats on earth, store more carbon per area then forests, prevent flooding, clean water and boost health and wellbeing. 

To help meet its ambitions, WWT also bought together a consortium of sector leading organisations at its Slimbridge headquarters to help unlock and facilitate the creation and restoration of 100,000 hectares of healthy wetland in the UK. HRH The Prince of Wales attended the meeting to listen and share ideas about delivering this “Blue Recovery” - to create transformational environmental change in the UK. 

Members of the public can support the Blue Recovery project by pledging their support at www.wwt.org.uk/wetlands-can