Slimbridge wetland sanctuary helps fight climate change

More than 3,000 Nēnē geese currently exist, with the majority residing on golf courses in Hawaii. A small group remains at Slimbridge, where Enid Cole and her associates provide daily feedings of lettuce.

During the past 80 years, staff at Slimbridge have successfully hand-reared various species, notably the Common Crane and the Madagascan Pochard, which is the world's rarest diving duck. Efforts to protect the Madagascan Pochard highlighted the critical importance of preserving wetland environments.

Sarah Fowler, the chief executive of WWT, stated, "We realised that to save that species, we had to bring the wetland back," adding that restoring these habitats required cooperation with the entire community in Madagascar. Volunteer warden Ian Hollister described the role of these areas by noting, "The wetlands are great at absorbing carbon, they're like a soggy secret weapon."

Enid Cole commented on the work, saying, "It's a marvelous project, and typical of Sir Peter."