Visitors exploring Pelican Creek can now spot two unusual new additions alongside our flock of 10 Australian Pelicans.
Created by conservation artist Jacha Potgieter, the larger-than-life sculptures have been made entirely from plastic litter collected from beaches around Britain.
The sculptures were created to celebrate the arrival of our Australian Pelicans and to encourage visitors to think about the impact plastic waste can have on wildlife.
From beach litter to pelicans
Take a closer look at the sculptures and you'll see that they are made from all kinds of discarded plastic.
For wildlife, plastic pollution can be much more than something unpleasant to look at. Birds can mistake brightly coloured pieces of floating plastic for food, accidentally swallowing litter while feeding.
Plastic can then build up inside their stomachs, taking up space that would otherwise be used for food and potentially causing serious harm.
The sculptures offer a visual reminder of this problem, transforming waste that was once polluting our beaches into something that visitors can stop and think about.
Three simple actions
As part of the interpretation at Pelican Creek, we're encouraging visitors to consider the choices they make every day and how these can help reduce plastic pollution.
There are three simple actions we can all take:
- Reduce the amount of plastic we use.
- Reuse items wherever possible, rather than throwing them away.
- Recycle plastic and other materials correctly.
While these actions might seem small, making more sustainable choices in our everyday lives can help reduce the amount of waste entering the natural environment.
Jacha Potgieter, the artist behind the sculptures, said:
“If we all do a little bit, we can actually save the planet. We must stand together and make an effort to make the planet a better place.”
Art with a conservation message
The sculptures were created by conservation artist Jacha Potgieter, whose work uses discarded materials to explore environmental issues and our relationship with nature.
Jacha generously donated the sculptures to WWT London after learning more about WWT and our mission to save wetlands and their wildlife.
By placing them alongside our real Australian Pelicans, the sculptures create a direct connection between the wildlife visitors come to see and the wider environmental challenges they face.
See the sculptures at Pelican Creek
Pelican Creek is home to the UK's only flock of Australian Pelicans, where visitors can walk through their habitat and get closer than ever to these remarkable birds.
They are a colourful new addition to the entrance of Pelican Creek, with an important message at their heart: the choices we make about plastic can make a difference to wildlife and the natural world.
