A report of an eight week Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and also my employer, English Nature, for making it possible for me to spend eight weeks visiting wetlands and meeting wetland managers in France, The Netherlands and Poland. I would would also like to thank my colleagues, in particular Flemming Ulf-Hansen and Mike Edgington, for covering my work whilst I was away.
Special thanks are due to the many conservation managers, farmers and academics in France, The Netherlands and Poland who warmly welcomed me and were happy to provide so much of their time and knowledge. Their assistance and enthusiasm has been greatly appreciated and in many cases their vision and energy was inspiring. Special thanks to: Nico Minnema of 'It Fryske Gea' and his team at Alde Feanen in Friesland; Suzanne Bastian and Philipe Levrell of the DIREN, and Jean-Francois Elder of Reserve Naturelle de Beauguillot in France; and Pawel Pavelyck and his collegues at The Naturalist Klub and also Marek Cieslak and Leslaw Wolejko.
Finally, biggest THANKS to Debbie, who supported me at home, looking after our little house and hairy dog, for the two months that I was away.