Sir David Attenborough at Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (From Gazette Series)

Sir David Attenborough at Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

4:33pm Monday 1st December 2008

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WILDLIFE broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough visited Slimbridge to celebrate the 90th birthday of Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s director Lady Philippa Scott.

He was also there to congratulate her on the new edition of The Art of Peter Scott, a revised book she has published, which chronicles the creativity of her late husband, founder of the WWT. Sir David descried it as a "marvellous" book about a man who will be "revered and honoured round the world for many years to come as the person who put conservation on the map."

He said: "The Scotts put conservation on the map at a time when no one was really interested.

"Unless people know about the natural world and wish to conserve the natural world and protect the natural world then the human race is in trouble."

Sir David added: "If it is the case that what survives of the natural world is protected then it will be a legacy to the Scotts."

Sir Peter, who set up the first WWT in Slimbridge and made it his home, was well-known for his work with conservation and for broadcasting wildlife programmes from his living room, but he was also a painter and the new book includes a large collection of his wildlife paintings.

Sir Peter and Lady Scott travelled the world together on research trips and last Friday at her birthday celebrations Lady Scott, honorary director of Slimbridge WWT, was given credit for all work she had done behind the scenes for her husband.

Sir David said: "Lady Scott had a great deal to do with the book. Not just that she shared the life of the person who created the pictures but she was behind so much of what Peter did.

"She shared so much and provided much support for Peter when he was working."

Lady Scott cut a cake for her birthday and later signed copies of the new book, which is out in time for the centenary year of Sir Peter Scott.

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