WWT Washington Celebrates Generation Wild’s Green Gown Success

WWT’s flagship programme, Generation Wild, has been celebrated as a finalist at the 2024 Green Gown Awards, held at Dynamic Earth.

The Green Gown Awards honour impactful sustainability projects in education, showcasing initiatives driving positive change for people and the planet.

Generation Wild received Highly Commended recognition in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sustainability category. Judges praised the programme’s innovative and inclusive approach, highlighting its ability to “address the disparity in nature connection opportunities with the potential to act as a catalyst for change across the environmental education sector.”

Launched in April 2021, Generation Wild is delivered across multiple WWT wetland centres, including WWT Washington. The programme focuses on connecting children with nature, particularly from economically disadvantaged schools. Delivered entirely free of charge, it also includes transport to WWT sites, ensuring accessibility for all participants.

“We’re thrilled that Generation Wild has been recognised at the Green Gown Awards”, said Joanne Newbury, Learning Manager at WWT Washington. “This accolade highlights the importance of breaking down barriers to nature connection for children from all backgrounds. By inspiring young people to engage with the natural world, we’re not only enriching their lives but also planting the seeds for a more sustainable future. Our Wetlands evoke joy and awe, sparking connections to nature that hopefully will be life-long”.

Since its launch, Generation Wild has reached over 7,700 children at WWT Washington and tens of thousands more across other WWT centres in the UK. At the Wearside reserve alone, participants have completed over 25,000 nature-based activities, such as meeting a minibeast and building a nest in their schools and local communities.

To celebrate the programme’s success, WWT has created an animation featuring feedback from children who have taken part: generationwild.wwt.org.uk/impact.

This year, the programme also introduced a new Codebreaking Adventure for Year 5 and 6 students. This engaging challenge promotes teamwork and problem-solving while exploring the natural world and has been highly praised by teachers and pupils alike.

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