News

Success at Russian breeding grounds lightens grief over chick deaths

Success at Russian breeding grounds lightens grief over chick deaths

Thirty spoon-billed sandpiper chicks have been hatched by conservationists in Russia over the weekend. The good news follows the tragic death last week of the world’s first captive-bred spoon-billed sandpipers. The Russian chicks have been hatched from

12 July 2016

Award for Schools Environment Project

Award for Schools Environment Project

Hollickwood Primary School children get planting![/caption] A project in which schoolchildren help to reduce flooding and pollution, while learning about wildlife, has won a major national environmental award. The project was run across 10 schools in N

7 July 2016

Sad news for spoon-billed sandpipers

Sad news for spoon-billed sandpipers

These are the only critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper chicks ever bred in captivity, but sadly neither survived for more than 60 hours. Each weighed only a few grammes and was barely bigger than a bumble bee. (c) Ben Cherry / WWT Seven eggs wer

5 July 2016

Flooding-friendly garden wins awards

Flooding-friendly garden wins awards

A garden that shows people how they can help solve local flooding through gardening has won a Gold Award and Best Garden award at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2016. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s “Working Wetlands Garden” is designed by Jeni

5 July 2016

Celebrity Dusty Duck Trail unveiled at Slimbridge

Celebrity Dusty Duck Trail unveiled at Slimbridge

A very different type of duck, designed by the world-famous Bristol based Aardman studios, landed at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire today. Dusty Duck has been designed exclusively for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) by Aardman studio

4 July 2016

Wetlands and leaving the EU

Wetlands and leaving the EU

The EU funds many research projects, including WWT's work to slow a 50% decline in red-breasted geese numbers. Blog post by Peter Morris, WWT's Head of Public Relations & Campaigns: The impact of leaving the EU on

30 June 2016

WWT becomes a formal partner on the Ramsar Convention

WWT becomes a formal partner on the Ramsar Convention

WWT became a formal partner of the global convention for wetlands – the Ramsar Convention – earlier this month. WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray joined Acting Secretary General of Ramsar, Ania Grobicki, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that plac

28 June 2016

Cranes pushed to the edge by floods on the Somerset Levels

Cranes pushed to the edge by floods on the Somerset Levels

A flock of cranes that ended up at the centre of a once-in-200-year flood has given researchers a rare insight into how wildlife copes with extreme weather. The cranes’ progress was being tracked by researchers from the University of Exeter, the Wildfo

27 June 2016

New behaviour seen in rare wading birds

New behaviour seen in rare wading birds

A ménage-a-trois between breeding black-tailed godwits has been witnessed for the first time ever by staff at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Norfolk. Staff monitoring the rare birds at WWT’s Welney reserve, one of only two places in the UK

16 June 2016

Eggs mean fresh hope for spoon-billed sandpipers

Eggs mean fresh hope for spoon-billed sandpipers

One of the world’s rarest birds has a new hope: it’s laid eggs in captivity for the first time. Seven eggs have been laid so far by two spoon-billed sandpipers at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK. The flock wa

14 June 2016

Happy birthday Your Majesty

Happy birthday Your Majesty

Prince Harry chats with WWT supporters WWT supporters joined our Patron, Her Majesty the Queen, for an official birthday lunch in the Mall with supporters of all the charities who benefit from her support. At WWT we l

13 June 2016

Flamingo

Flamingo "school disco" research wins gold for WWT

It's beneficial for flamingos to scrap over their nesting area. It makes them feel possessive and gives them ownership of a nest mound. Research revealing the complex social life of the flamboyant flamingo has won a s

9 June 2016

People and wildlife to benefit from China/WWT agreement

People and wildlife to benefit from China/WWT agreement

British and Chinese wetlands could benefit from an agreement to share conservation expertise, signed today between the Chinese Government and UK charity the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). The agreement opens the door to share technology to design an

31 May 2016

Chewing gum cleaner used to weed wetland!

Chewing gum cleaner used to weed wetland!

No, we're not vacuuming, we're weeding! A wetland nature reserve has found a novel use for a machine that usually cleans chewing gum and graffiti from towns and streets. WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire is

18 May 2016

Meet the UK's newest birdwatching hide - it's got 16 sides!

Meet the UK's newest birdwatching hide - it's got 16 sides!

The interlocking roof means no pillars are needed Britain’s newest birdwatching hide is a 16-sided wooden gazebo with “surround sight” lagoon views, a close-up kingfisher pool, and a wildlife-friendly roof at th

16 May 2016