News - WWT
Mixed Brexit outlook for water, WWT tells MPs
Brexit could be both bad and good for the UK’s natural water resources, WWT has told a Committee of MPs. WWT was giving evidence to a Parliamentary inquiry into regulation of the water industry, as chair and spokesgroup on water policy for a national c
20 June 2018
A 'tail' of triumph! Hand-reared godwits survive odds to fly the nest
38 black-tailed godwits have been released in the Cambridgeshire Fens after being hand-reared by conservationists at WWT Welney. Many of the birds released were not expected to hatch due to the terrible condition of the eggs as a result of the late sprin
20 June 2018
Making a splash! Pupils at Enfield's Prince of Wales Primary plant water garden
Year two schoolchildren helped create their very own living water feature by filling a small pool with wetland plants. They also got their hands muddy by making finishing touches to a nearby Mediterranean gravel garden, digging holes and filling them w
11 June 2018
Baby Baer's! First sighting of duck family confirms rare bird is breeding
A female Baer’s pochard and her young have been spotted at Hengshui Hu National Nature Reserve in China. It’s the only confirmed report from anywhere in the world this year of successful breeding by this Critically Endangered duck. Conservationists h
7 June 2018
A lead-free win-win
The challenge for UK shooters everywhere is whether they will continue to needlessly poison wildlife because of the myth that the evidence of their impact is in some strange way an “attack” on themselves, or switch to non-poisonous ammunition because the
29 May 2018
WWT response to LAG update report
The extent and cost of wildlife being poisoned by spent lead ammunition is higher than previously thought, according to figures in a new report by an expert advisory panel. Ducks, geese and swans are the main victims. They gobble up some of the 5,000 t
29 May 2018
Rare eggs hatch after spring flooding rescue
A total of 15 godwit eggs rescued from muddy farmland in East Anglia have hatched successfully so far. Conservationists, trying to protect the rare black-tailed godwit, teamed up with local farmers to save the eggs, which were found in poor condition due
25 May 2018
"We have to relate" says WWT Chief Exec
People are both the biggest challenge and the biggest solution for the world’s wetlands, according to WWT’s Chief Executive Martin Spray CBE. Speaking at the Castle Debate on Working Wetlands – part of a series of environmental debates held at the
22 May 2018
Who is your wetland hero?
David Hindle David is an author and naturalist from Lancashire. His books include birdwatching guides to Lancashire, Forest of Bowland and the Lake District as well as a history of his home village of Grimsargh, near Preston. He donates his royalties to
22 May 2018
WWT's Sacha Dench receives Britannia Trophy for Flight of the Swans
Our very own ‘human swan’ was presented with the prestigious aviation award by the Duke of York HRH Prince Andrew at a special ceremony last night. Sacha earned the award – one of the most respected honours in aviation - in recognition of her lon
18 May 2018
Scheme helping thousands of schoolchildren access nature up for award
A scheme that has given thousands of disadvantaged school children easy access to nature has been shortlisted for an award. WWT and HSBC’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ programme which aims to give pupils from poorer backgrounds the chance to experienc
14 May 2018
Rescue effort saves rare eggs after spring flooding
Unseasonal April downpours have forced tens of thousands of birds to nest away from the safety of the wetlands after their habitat in the Fens, East Anglia became submerged. Conservationists, trying to protect the rare black-tailed godwit, discovered c
10 May 2018
'Wetland cities' could be reality this year
WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray has hinted that a new ‘wetland city’ accreditation scheme could be a reality by the end of this year. The news was included in a speech to the Ramsar Convention in Switzerland this week, which he delivered on behalf o
2 May 2018
New garden brings splash of Canadian colour
The Royal Bank of Canada Garden from the 2017 RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been officially opened to visitors at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre. The garden, designed by Charlotte Harris, was awarded a Gold medal at the show last May. Martin Mere Wetland
26 April 2018
First hand-reared godwit returns to UK
A black-tailed godwit has returned to The Fens in East Anglia where it was hand-reared after migrating as far as Portugal for the winter. The bird is one of 26 black-tailed godwits raised at WWT Welney and released into the wild last summer. The wader, a
24 April 2018