The Nene goose, native of Hawaii was on the brink of extinction with only 30 birds left when their plight came to the attention of Peter Scott.
Our story starts back in the 1950s on Hawaii, with a little goose that was on the verge of extinction. Many years ago, living on a Hawaiian island didn’t involve having to deal with land predators, so the nene evolved as a friendly and inquisitive bird and it’s estimated that 25,000 used to inhabit the islands. But with the arrival of Europeans in 1778 and the introduction of predators like dogs, pigs and mongoose, life changed forever for the curious and trusting nene. Its numbers plummeted and by 1952 there were only 30 left.
Its plight captured the attention of WWT founder, Sir Peter Scott. He was determined not to let the species die out and brought a pair back to Slimbridge.
After a few teething problems (both birds turned out to be female) and the arrival of a gander, one of the greatest conservation success stories began.
In 1962, 35 birds born and raised at Slimbridge arrived in Hawaii to be released back into the wild. They were released across four sites on the main island and one site on Maui. Now, over fifty years since the birds were re-introduced, their numbers are above 2,000. In 2014 the first pair were spotted on a third island, having made their own way there.
It was Sir Peter Scott’s passion, determination and innovative thinking that enabled him to bring a bird back from the brink of extinction in the face of all odds.
Tags: Gloucestershire Docks, Nene Goose, Peter Scott, Slimbridge, Vacattion, Wildlife and Wetlands Trust, WWT
Sir Peter Scott was the son of Antarctic explorer Captain Scott who, in his dying letter, urged Peter’s mother to “make the boy interested in natural history”.
Peter particularly loved the wild open marshes of Britain and the mysterious geese that visited from unknown shores. He learned to protect first the birds, and then their wetland habitats.
In 1946 he set up the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge as a centre for science and conservation. Uniquely at the time, he opened it to the public so that anyone could enjoy getting close to nature.
Peter and his family presented the BBC’s first live television wildlife programmes from his artist’s studio overlooking the lakes at Slimbridge, from where he brought a love for the British countryside into millions of homes.
As well as setting up WWT, he became an Olympic sailing medallist and a well-known painter and broadcaster. He created the IUCN red list which measures whether species are threatened or endangered. He was the founding chair of WWF – he even drew their famous panda logo.
WWT flourished during Peter’s life and has continued his life’s work since his death in 1989.
Tags: Gloucestershire, Slimbridge, Vacation, Wild Fowl, Wildlife and Wetlands Trust, WWT
I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
John Muir
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Hatton Court, Sunset, Vacation
This carving of a human figure was found in the Bishop’s garden in Gloucester around 150 years ago.
The figure is of Jesus. We can tell that because there are rays of sunshine around the figures head, which means it is a special type of halo called a cruciform. This type of halo is only used for representations of Jesus.
The figure is believed to be around 1000 years old.
Tags: Christus, Crucifix, Gloucester, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucestershire, Saxon
