Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is working very extensively in Asia to save waterfowl. 2009 is the centenary year of the birth of their founder Sir Peter Scott. http://www.wwt.org.uk/blog/836/sir_peter_scott.html 2009 Peter Scott centenary blog 14 September 2009 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Peter Scott, founder of WWT. Sir Peter Scott by Gustav A. Swanson Published in the September/October 1989 issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. Sir Peter Scott's extraordinary accomplishments have spanned several different spheres, including conservation, ornithology, art, communication, and for pure recreation, sailing and gliding. One wonders how one person could accomplish so much. Most of his activities have been based upon his background as a naturalist, a background that had its beginnings in childhood. When he was only 18 months old his father, Robert Falcon Scott, headed an expedition to the South Pole, and although he reached it, he perished in severe blizzards on the return trip. A letter he wrote to his wife a few days before his death in March 1912, spoke of Peter, then only 2 and a half years old, and said, " Make the boy interested in natural history. " This had already been encouraged by family friend Sir James Barrie (author of Peter Pan), who had given the infant as a christening present a life fellowship in the Zoological Society of London. As a result the youngster began visiting the famous zoo with his nanny even before he could write, signing his admission as a fellow with an X. Another favorite haunt was St. James Park, near his home, where he could watch the many waterfowl and pelicans. Paralleling his naturalist interests was his developing skill as an artist, which his mother encouraged while he was still a child. A respected sculptor herself, she recognized the child's aptitude for drawing what he saw, especially the birds. At Cambridge University, Peter studied biology, but by his third year he had decided to become a professional artist, so he finished in art and architecture, then continued studying art for a year in Munich and another two years at the Royal Academy in London. He then searched for a place where he could draw and paint his favorite subjects in life and was lucky to find an unused lighthouse that he could rent for five pounds a year. It was on the tidal flats of the River Nene on the British east coast; here he lived for six years painting the waterfowl that were attracted to his decoys. In 1939 he entered the navy, contributing to the war effort as an artist by developing camouflage for ships and important buildings. One of his books, Battle of the Narrow Seas, deals with his wartime experiences. While he was still a student at Cambridge a local bookstore sponsored a one-man show of his bird paintings, and all were sold. In 1933 he became more widely known when two of his paintings were accepted in a Royal Academy show; in that year he also had his first exhibit at Ackermann's, the distinguished fine art gallery in London. In 1989, Sir Peter's 80th year, he again had a one-man show at Ackermann's, where it is felt that " the span of 1933 to 1989 is certainly a remarkably long association for a gallery and an artist. " Ackermann's, in its 206th year, should know. Bird watchers are indebted to Sir Peter Scott, especially because of his worldwide conservation work. He has helped to preserve many important wildlife habitats that would otherwise have been destroyed. His conservation efforts began in England in 1946 when he established the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge on an estuary of the Severn River. It is his headquarters for research and conservation work and for his painting of birds. His home there is also his studio, with large picture windows looking out on pools that provide harbor and safety for the thousands of geese, swans, and ducks that winter in the area. From all over the world he has assembled the largest collection anywhere of living, mostly free-flying, ducks, geese, and swans-about 100 species in all. Attracted are not only thousands of wintering geese from Iceland and Lapland, but many serious students of bird behavior, too. As an example, when Dr. Paul Johnsgard, currently America's most prolific writer of bird books, finished at Cornell, he spent two post-doctoral years at the Wildfowl Trust, preparing for his first book, the Handbook of Waterfowl Behavior. The Slimbridge collection has made it possible for Peter to paint from life all of the world's species for Jean Delacour's classic four-volume Waterfowl of The World, and for his own Colour Key To The Wildfowl of The World. I have used this convenient little book to good advantage on trips to Africa, South America, and Australia. I once used it to identify a species seen in Fort Collins, Colorado. A local newspaper reporter called to ask about a pair of " new birds " that had appeared in City Park Lake with the hundreds of wild and semi-wild waterfowl normally there. Some fairly rare species had shown up from time to time-Ross' goose, lesser snow goose, and Eurasian wigeon I recall-but they had all been North American species, easily identified. " But no one has ever seen these, " the reporter claimed. " I got a good picture of them. Could I bring it to your office? " It took only a minute in Peter Scott's Key to name the birds as bar-headed geese, which nest in Mongolia and winter in Pakistan and India. I suggested that they must be escapes from a zoo or private collection, which turned out to be true. The Wildfowl Trust area at Slimbridge has become such an important refuge for wintering waterfowl and has attracted so many bird watchers that, one by one, additional trust areas have been acquired until now there are six in England and one in Scotland; an eighth with soon be opened. These private refuges make an important contribution to bird conservation and education, and bird watchers are welcome. Among Peter Scott's contributions to conservation has been his role in saving the Hawaiian goose, or nene, from extinction. Still another has been in helping to persuade the government of Ecuador to make the Galapagos Islands a national park, providing protection for its unique bird life. He also helped to establish there the Charles Darwin Research Station. His greatest contribution, however, has been through the World Wildlife Fund, which he established in 1961 with two friends, E. M. (Max) Nicholson and Guy Mountfort. It has been a remarkable force for wildlife conservation. In its first 25 years it raised more than $100 million, which has been used in 135 countries. The preservation of wildlife habitat in many developing countries is due to the efforts and financial support of the World Wildlife Fund. Sir Peter's conservation work has been tremendously aided by his skills and fame as speaker and author. He served as a radio broadcaster for the BBC for 20 years with the children's house programs " Nature Parliament " and " The Naturalist. " Then he was principal organizer for 17 years of the TV natural history program " Look, " and since 1971 has been commentator for the Anglia TV " Survival " series. His 18 books begin in the 1930s with Morning Flight and Wild Chorus and run up to the present with the series, Travel Diaries of a Naturalist. His books are lavishly illustrated with his paintings. Most are out of print, but you will find some in your public library. Sir Peter has deservedly received many honors for his accomplishments in conservation, ornithology, and bird art, and in several other areas. In the British tradition his name is shown as Sir Peter Markham Scott, CH, CBE, DSC, FRS, which for us Americans requires a bit of translating. The CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) was awarded by the Queen in 1953 in recognition of the success of the Wildfowl Trust as a research and educational center. The DSC (Distinguished Service Cross) was twice awarded for his World War II accomplishments in the British Navy. In 1973 he was the first person to be knighted (hence the Sir) for accomplishments in conservation. The CH (Companion of Honour) is a particularly selective award by the Queen, made in 1987. The FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society) recognized, in 1987, his eminence as scholar and scientist. Seven universities in England, Scotland, and Canada have awarded Peter Scott honorary degrees. Among the organizations that have presented him their highest honors are the British Ornithologists' Union, the National Wildlife Federation, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the New York Zoological Society, the World Wildlife Fund, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Royal Geographic Society, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. His contributions to conservation have also been recognized with gold medals from Wildlife Art News magazine and from the National Zoological Park in Washington. Sir Peter Scott was truly strong as a naturalist, conservationist, wildlife artist, and communicator. He was truly a man who deserves our admiration and gratitude. 1Sir Peter foresaw that conservation of wildlife depends on safeguarding habitats and, crucially, on involving and inspiring people. WWT furthers his legacy everyday. WWT works to save threatened species from extinction2: to date it has helped save 20 species. WWT works with communities3 from Nepal to Laos to maximise the social, environmental and economic benefits of wetlands. Through its wetland centres4 in the UK and the hundreds it supports around the world, WWT works tirelessly to bring people and wildlife together. 5This year we are taking the opportunity to look back and celebrate the life and vision of Sir Peter. We are also looking to the future and to how best WWT will further his legacy. Throughout the year we will be sharing memories and anecdotes of Sir Peter on this page. As well as reporting on WWT news and events. 16 MarMemories from a Bristol naturalist 16 March 2009 Michael Wotton writes: It was 1946, I was in my mid-teens, living in Bristol, and passionate about birds. Through joining the Bristol Naturalists' Society I had just learned of Peter Scott and the new Severn Wildfowl Trust. Slimbridge was a bicycle ride away and it was there that Bill and I watched our first wild geese ... the sky seemed full of them, line after ragged line, inbound from Asia amid a glorious tumult ... before whiffling down onto the Dumbles. 6Over time, hides were built the length of the earthen seawall and a waterfowl collection was begun. I recall the earliest Nene Geese, the unprecedented arrival of a single wild Bewick's Swan7 (forerunner of so many); over several seasons I searched thousands of Greater White-fronted Geese for, and eventually found, a pair of delicate Lesser White-fronted Geese. 8In the wake of the Wildfowl Trust's increasing stature, Peter Scott assumed heroic proportions for me. On one occasion he spoke to our Society at the university in Bristol and everyone watched spellbound as he drew, with chalk on the lecture theatre's blackboard, a delightful Red-breasted9 Goose 9... flawlessly completed without once lifting the chalk from the board! Another time he told of his expedition to Canada's Perry River and its little-known Ross's Goose colony (stirring adventure dreams of my own). At Slimbridge I occasionally saw Peter on my visits, once (with others) we shared a hide. But the most special moment was still to come. Our Society was hosting a social event at the Bristol Museum, an Open Evening with each of its several sections staging exhibits appropriate to their areas of interest. It was a rather grand affair, the more so being set among giant cases of stuffed mammals and birds and the museum's imposing architecture. Notables of the local natural history scene talked in groups; apart and quite alone Bill and I viewed the exhibits. Our hero was there too, of course, conversing with the big names when ... he gracefully broke away. After strolling towards the two unknown youngsters Peter Scott introduced himself and we chatted for several minutes. The selflessness was remarkable, especially so in a more formal time. Sixty years later I remember it fondly ... one of so many pleasures a lifetime associated with birds has allowed me. Post a comment10 5 MarMemories from Yuen Peng Lady McNeice 5 March 2009 I first met Peter at a function for Gerald Durrell's Zoo in 1964. I was living in Jersey at that time. Over the years I got to know Peter and his wife, Philippa. 11They would break their long journey from England to Australia and stay with my husband and myself at our home in Singapore. Peter would sit on the patio and paint. Later, he would incorporate the wildlife he saw in our garden in a very special painting he did for us. On visits to our children in England, we would visit Slimbridge12 often. As a result, the Loke Hide came into being. Loke is my family name. Further support for Slimbridge came later. On one visit to Singapore, Peter mentioned that it would be nice if visitors to Slimbridge could observe the wildfowl on Swanlake from an enclosed area. Having had the privilege of seeing them in the warm comfort of Peter's house , I agreed with him. Thus, the Yuen-Peng McNeice Observatory came into being. 13The Cheng-Kim Loke Wildlife Art Gallery14 is named in honour of my late mother. It is fitting that it is being used for artists to show their work. The Kingfisher Hide is the latest project that I have had the pleasure of participating in. I had mentioned earlier that Peter had done a painting for us. On one visit to Slimbridge, I noticed in his home that he had a painting of himself and Philippa surrounded by all the marine life they had seen on one scuba diving trip. Rather diffidently, I asked if he would do the same for us. To my great delight, he agreed!It now hangs in my home; a most treasured memory of a good friend and a great man! Post a comment15 5 MarBBC Countryfile to celebrate Sir Peter's centenary 5 March 2009 WWT is delighted that BBC1's Countryfile programme will be coming from WWT Slimbridge12 this Sunday in celebration of Sir Peter Scott's centenary. John Craven16 and the crew were here filming on Monday and Tuesday this week and spoke to staff and friends about WWT's work17 and Sir Peter Scott's legacy18. The programme will be broadcast between 11am and 12pm on BBC1 this Sunday. If you miss it you can catch the last episode here19. Post a comment20 27 JanDerek's memories of Sir Peter 27 January 2009 Throughout the year we'll be posting memories and anecdotes of people who knew or were influenced by Sir Peter. We start with Derek Cropton, long-standing volunteer and staff member at WWT Slimbridge. " I started as a volunteer in the late summer of 1986. I'd first come to Slimbridge as a visitor and afterwards spoke to Nigel Houston from the education department to arrange to volunteer at the weekends. I worked in the lecture theatre and on the grain desk selling grain. Peter used to come by the grain desk some days. He always paid for his bag of grain. He never just took it. He used to stop and chat. Sometimes he and Phil Scott would join me for a walk around the grounds. I'm a keen photographer and Phil is a very good photographer. I learnt a few things about photography from Phil on those walks. I've kept in touch with the Scotts ever since those days and I still pop in to see Phil. She even came to my wedding reception when I got married. " Post a comment21 22[sylvia Sanger] Peter Scott gave a lecture at my school in the 1950's including sketches he drew whilst he was talking. His enthusiasm & influence has stayed with me ever since & I have visited Slimbridge whenever I was in the area. I became a member of WWT when the London Wetland Centre opened as this is close to where I live and I am also able to visit Arundel at times. I have been to Welney and hope to get to some of the other centres at some stage. [Keith Browning] It was 1984 while working for a timber construction company, when travelling back from Bristol to Gloucester; I visited Slimbridge just to take a short break to grab a quick drink and sandwich in the restaurant. I was impressed by the use of timber buildings at the centre and by chance met with, the then Estates Manager Major Denis Millington, who after discovering we both shared the same engineering design background, invited me to assist the Trust to design a new hide based on Peter's rough sketch. Peter was impressed with my work and asked to meet me. At that time he was contemplating the redevelopment of Slimbridge and was particularly concerned about the location for a proposed new large observation tower and whether it would be in the flight path of the wildfowl. While talking to him looking out from in his private observation tower, accessed from his house, he told me how he would still get a kick from looking out over the grounds seeing how his vision had been realised. He told me also about another hide which would have to be `L' shaped and placed near to the spinney to overlook the river Severn; an important place to him, where he told me he first knew that the location for a wildfowl trust would be Slimbridge. On understanding his commitment for conservation, I realised he was a very special man and that I would be prepared to work for him on whatever project he asked and over the next fifteen years I did just that. Designing numerous buildings, hides, Flamingo Houses , new centres, walkways and even a special picnic table that had to be suitable for the disabled, which has now been copied all over the world. Just before his death, I was delighted when he asked me to collaborate with him on preparing illustrations and detailed drawings for a new book, a guide for the construction of hides. I learnt about the vitally important considerations with which he attributed to a hide's appearance in the environment, even to the extent of throwing cow dung onto newly tiled roofs to quickly encourage lichen growth to age the tiles. His specific requirements for the suitability of a hide layout and design, was not just a place for people to observe nature, but also a building which would be acceptable to ducks! 23[Mike Butler] As a small boy, I was on my way to Weston Super Mare with family, grand parents, aunts, uncles and cousins, when our Austin Seven broke down near Slimbridge. We finally got it going again, but by this time it was too late to head on to Weston. Remember the M5 had not even been thought of then. It was decided that we should go to Slimbridge on our way home and we duly stopped off. We had a geat time seeing all the birds close to. This was the start of a lifetime regard for Slimbridge. Since then I have been many times and a few years ago became a member. On one occasion I remember Peter Scott walking past while I was looking round and on another I saw Peter painting, through a window though I never met him properly. WWt does a tremendous job and is a model for conservation worldwide. Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 >Among Peter Scott's contributions to conservation has been his role in >saving the Hawaiian goose, or nene, from extinction. To put this project in proper context, it was begun by a local Boy Scout troop in 1962, with just 35 birds. There are now about 370 nene, only about a third of them in the wild, despite enormous infusions of funding from WWF and the Hawaii and U.S. governments, and many hundreds of other animals have been killed to protect the wild flocks. On the whole, the Boy Scouts seem to have made the best showing. > Still another has been in helping to persuade the government of >Ecuador to make the Galapagos Islands a national park, providing >protection for its unique bird life. The Galapagos is about as well-protected a habitat as any given Chennai intersection. Indeed, the Galapagos may be among the most encroached, poached, & squatted upon few islands in the world, and the government of Ecuador has done precious little to stop it; Ecuadoran naval officers have been prominent among the exploiters of the surrounding waters. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has supplied a vessel & crew to assist the Galapagos National Park wardens in patrolling for the past decade, but this effort has been just a fraction of what WWF could have funded if WWF had ever been really serious about protecting the Gallapagos. >His greatest contribution, however, has been through the World Wildlife >Fund, which he established in 1961 with two friends, E. M. (Max) >Nicholson and Guy Mountfort. It has been a remarkable force for >wildlife conservation. WWF is the leading global voice of the idea that wildlife should " pay for itself " through " sustainable use, " meaning sport hunting and the sale of wildlife products. This was apparent right from the first when Peter Scott's hand-picked WWF founding board included captive bird-shooters Prince Philip of Britain and Prince Bernhardt of The Netherlands, the whaler Aristotle Onassis, and then-National Rifle Association president C.R. " Pink " Gutermuth. The most remarkable aspect of WWF is how much money it raises from animal advocates who fail to realize that it is in effect the largest and most influential of all the pro-hunting lobbies. -- Merritt Clifton Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE P.O. Box 960 Clinton, WA 98236 Telephone: 360-579-2505 Fax: 360-579-2575 E-mail: anmlpepl Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year; for free sample, send address.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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