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13 August 2009
TV naturalist becomes new Great Fen Patron
TV presenter, dinosaur tracker and time traveller Nigel Marven has become the new patron of the Great Fen Project.
This follows a visit by Nigel and his son Theo earlier this summer to the Great Fen. The visitors saw a wealth of wildlife including marsh harriers, common terns, marsh orchids and damselflies. Nigel heard about the vision of the conservation project, to restore more than 9,000 acres of fenland habitat in Cambridgeshire.
“I was so impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers, I jumped at the chance to be a patron of such an important and heart-warming project,” Nigel said. “In my lifetime, I am sure, that with a bit of help from all of us, flocks of majestic cranes will be gliding down to nest in England's Everglades.”
Nigel joins a long list of eminent Great Fen Project supporters, including royal patron HRH The Prince of Wales, Great Fen President Stephen Fry and other Great Fen Project patrons Beth Rothschild, whose grandfather The Rt Hon Sir Charles Rothschild first bought Woodwalton Fen in 1911, former Prime Minister Sir John Major, and co-founder of the Eden Project Tim Smit.
“Visiting the Great Fen with my son Theo, I was thrilled to see that work in progress is already bringing rewards” Nigel said. “There are hedgerows jam-packed with wildflowers - from one Theo heard his first nightingale, in another he peered at his first lime hawk-moth.”
All this is much tamer than the world explorer and snake wrestler is used to, but the subtle beauty of the Fens has a way of winning over even the most adrenalin charged individuals, and Nigel seemed far from disappointed. “The Great Fen may not have been colonised by giant snakes, but it is a haven for all sorts of fantastic birds and other wildlife,” he said.
Chris Gerrard, Great Fen Project Manager, was delighted by the news: “We are thrilled that Nigel has agreed to be a Patron of the Great Fen Project. His love of wildlife and enthusiasm for inspiring people about the natural world make him an excellent advocate for the project and its values. We look forward to working with Nigel in the future.”
Click here to listen to Nigel talking about his adventures on the Great Fen Project.
To find out more about the Great Fen Project, please click here.