As the weather in the northern hemisphere gets warmer and we spend more time in nature, the Wadden Sea World Heritage’s new campaign is a timely reminder that we are guests in nature and in someone’s home.
The campaign, “You are a guest – this is where I live. The Wadden Sea”, includes a series of short videos of mascot species from the area – a brent goose, ringed plover, sea holly, seal, and an oystercatcher – behaving badly in people’s homes.
The idea is to “hold up a mirror” and remind us the Wadden Sea is where these species feed, breed, sleep, and rear their young.
“So, behave!”
To help preserve the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site, guests are asked to keep dogs on leashes, stay on marked paths, keep a distance from seals and birds, leave nature in nature, and not litter.
In addition to the humorous clips, people living near the Wadden Sea share their connection to the area, noting there is so much more than mud and grey but an “infinite vastness to the horizon” and an abundance of life.
A place where you find “the bottom of the sea” and “where the sky starts” and where “nature looks different every day” – an “incredible treasure” we need to protect.
The campaign was produced by WWF Germany with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat and the Wadden Sea National Park Authorities.
Home to a diverse range of flora and fauna
The Wadden Sea is the largest contiguous tidal flat system in the world, home to a vast amount of biodiversity. The national park is located in the southeastern part of the North Sea, covering an area of around 10,000 km2 from The Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark.
To learn more about conservation and tourism in the Wadden Sea, see our LT&C Examples Schutzstation Wattenmeer, The International Wadden Sea, and National Park and Biosphere Reserve Partner Programme – waddensea.travel.
