People and wildlife to benefit from funding boost
Plans to bring wildlife and people closer together at WWT Washington Wetland Centre are set to go ahead thanks to a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
A project to enhance visitor facilities at our saline lagoon has been awarded £65,800 by HLF, which gives grants to sustain and transform heritage in the UK.
The lagoon is an example of one of the UK’s rarest habitats and its brackish nature – a mixture of fresh and sea water – provides the ideal salinity levels for a unique range of wetland species.
Opened in 2013, the habitat has already strengthened the biodiversity of our nature reserve by connecting it to the River Wear and wildlife highlights enjoyed by visitors so far have included wild Eurasian otter and roe deer, breeding oystercatcher and an array of flora.
Along with other generous support, the HLF grant will now allow for a number of new key developments, designed to bring visitors even closer to this amazing wetland wildlife. These include the building of a new hide, the installation of a composting toilet and improved access.
WWT Washington centre manager Gill Pipes said: “We are hugely grateful to HLF for giving us this opportunity to work together in enabling our visitors to get even closer to a diverse range of wild flora and fauna.
“Lagoon View hide will be an accessible, family-friendly space, blending into the landscape and overlooking the saline lagoon, the River Wear and our river reedbed – itself a regionally-rare habitat.
“It will have large panoramic windows, interpretation boards and bird books; as well as telescopes and binoculars for learning sessions.
“There will be improved access to the hide and surrounding meadows of high wildlife value and a composting toilet on the Eastern approach to the area.
“We will also be training volunteers to run public ‘guide in the hide’ sessions; hold a series of workshops and activities across the year and provide a ‘green classroom’ for more than 6,000 schoolchildren annually, many of them from disadvantaged areas.”
Ivor Crowther, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North East, said: “High quality green space, especially wetland, is at a premium across the North East, and once completed this project will provide the perfect nature spot for thousands of visitors to relax in and enjoy every year.
“Wetlands are vital in providing appropriate habitats for a diverse range of species and it’s really important that we continue to fund projects like this that will engage local communities and provide people with new skills and training opportunities.”
Whatever the season, come rain or shine, WWT Washington Wetland Centre is the perfect place for you to connect with nature.
Open 364 days a year, our award-winning, family-friendly site offers an easy, safe space to enjoy the wonders of wetland wildlife, with a host of unforgettable wildlife encounters, regular activities and beautiful scenery all year round.
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is a charity that saves wetlands, which are essential for life itself. Every day we’re at the heart of issues like well-being, nature, climate change and education.
