The wonderful world of wetlands

Fact file

Janet Clarke is a retired primary teacher, joint health and safety officer for Hounslow NEU, and volunteer for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at London Wetland Centre. Visit wwt.org.uk

WETLANDS are Earth’s most diverse ecosystems, coming in all shapes and sizes – from your garden pond to the Pantanal of South America, the largest in the world.

However, although our planet is 70 per cent water, less than 0.23 per cent is fresh, unfrozen and accessible. Yet 40 per cent of all species, including us, depend on it for life. Wetlands can store twice as much carbon as rainforests but, thanks to us humans, are being lost three times faster.

These are just some of the facts that I have learnt over my years as a volunteer for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at London Wetland Centre, an urban oasis in Barnes, south-west London.

I began volunteering here as a member of the visitor engagement team when we first opened to the public in May 2000. My roles include spotlight talks and meet, greet and roam sessions. Talks may be on topics such as what is a wetland and how and why the centre came to be; and how wetlands can mitigate the effects of climate change and how we can help. Our bird of the day talk focuses on our living collection to tell the story of our work in monitoring and managing threats to wetlands and wetland species and the people who depend on wetlands for their livelihoods.

One of our core messages is conservation through education and our brilliant education team has, like education teams across the trust, been running a free programme for schools called Generation Wild (see below). It’s great to see and hear the enjoyment of those children who may not otherwise get a chance to visit.

Why not become a wetlands volunteer?

The pandemic has made us more aware that being around nature makes us physically and mentally healthier – and wetlands are great places to visit for that.

Volunteering at a wetland centre can be cold, wet and tiring but it’s always rewarding. So, visit a wetland near you soon – or become a volunteer at one and help spread the word about their importance for wildlife and people. n Visit wwt.org.uk/join-and-support/volunteering