He was driven by a desire to share his passion for wetland wildlife
Peter Scott foresaw that conservation of wildlife depends, crucially, on involving and inspiring people. The wetland centres he set up provide more than a sanctuary; they allow people to get up close to, enjoy and learn about wildlife.
In 1946 Sir Peter Scott established the Severn Wildfowl Trust on the banks of the River Severn in Gloucestershire as "a centre for the scientific study and conservation of wildfowl". Now known as the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the charity has set up nine wetland centres which bring one million visitors close to wildlife each year.
He was driven by a desire to share his passion for wetland wildlife. But he also saw that conservation needed to engage the public to be successful.
While many WWT wetland centres are in the countryside, Sir Peter Scott knew that WWT needed to get to the heart of cities too. In 2001 WWT opened the London Wetland Centre which receives over 200,000 visitors each year.
In all its projects around the world, WWT ensures people and their needs and wants are incorporated from the start to ensure their success.