Our flamingos are currently off-show due to the cold and icy weather. Apologies for any inconvenience.

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Wader Lake works

Our reserve team are working on Wader Lake today (Thursday 21 November) which may cause disturbance to the wildlife in the area. Thank you for your patience.

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Washington news

Find out how we're managing tree diversity on site

Find out how we're managing tree diversity on site

Tree work and exciting plans You may have noticed that we've been doing some tree work along our gully in between our Stream Channel and Close Encounters. While this may look dramatic, there's a management plan carefully designed and monitored by our res

21 November 2024

Meet The Team: Deborah Nolan - Marketing Manager

Meet The Team: Deborah Nolan - Marketing Manager

This November, we're excited to spotlight Deborah Nolan, Marketing Manager at WWT Washington, in our ‘Meet the Team’ series.

8 November 2024

Kingfisher hints and tips - where to spot one this autumn

Kingfisher hints and tips - where to spot one this autumn

With increased sightings of this vibrant yet elusive bird, here are some tips on where best to spot them!

1 November 2024

WWT Washington Celebrated with VisitEngland Accolade for 'Best Told Story'

WWT Washington Celebrated with VisitEngland Accolade for 'Best Told Story'

WWT Washington Wetland Centre has been honoured with a prestigious VisitEngland Accolade for ‘Best Told Story - one of only six accolades given to North East visitor attractions.

23 October 2024

Top things to do This October Half-term

Top things to do This October Half-term

Top things to do This October Half-term October is a magical time to visit wetlands, and this half-term, we have exciting activities for the whole family! Whether you enjoy spooky crafts, wildlife exploration, or seasonal walks, there’s something for e

18 October 2024

Meet The Team: Joanne Newbury - Learning Manager

Meet The Team: Joanne Newbury - Learning Manager

Join us this month as we sit down with Joanne Newbury, our Learning Manager at WWT Washington. Discover how her childhood adventures exploring nature with her grandparents and her keen eye for wildlife sparked her passion and ultimately led her to a fulfilling career at WWT Washington.

11 October 2024

Get ready for a spellbinding October half term at WWT Washington

Get ready for a spellbinding October half term at WWT Washington

Prepare to dive into a world of enchantment this October half-term as WWT promise a magical week filled with activities to keep kids and grown-ups alike utterly bewitched. Get hands-on with owl pellet workshops, craft your own Halloween lanterns and badg

10 October 2024

Musa the otter - this is your life!

Musa the otter - this is your life!

Musa, our adorable otter is celebrating his 15th birthday, and is now the oldest Asian short-clawed otter in all of WWT! To mark this momentous occasion, we thought we'd take a look back at Musa's life so far... Musa was born on 3rd October 2009 at W

3 October 2024

Because you know we're all about the bats...

Because you know we're all about the bats...

When you wander around Washington WWT you’ll see a lot of bird boxes up in the trees, but there are other boxes that look a little different with the entrance at the bottom. These have been designed to provide roosts for bats rather than birds. Becau

30 September 2024

Who’s who - a guide to our Chilean flamingos

Who’s who - a guide to our Chilean flamingos

Our flock of Chilean flamingos is as flamboyant as they come, but each has an individual story. But how do we tell them apart? With great difficulty visually speaking, however, our flamingos all have special leg rings featuring numbers or letters that

27 September 2024

Flamingos fabulous at 40!

Flamingos fabulous at 40!

Eleven Chilean flamingos at Wearside nature reserve WWT Washington Wetland Centre are celebrating their 40th birthdays this week, and are inviting visitors to come and mark the occasion with them! This Saturday (28 September) has been named ‘flam

25 September 2024

Gift donation as part of Elf Academy

Gift donation as part of Elf Academy

Help us support local children's charities this Christmas As part of our Elf Academy Christmas event, we ask young recruits to bring along a book with them (this can be a pre-loved book in a good condition or a brand new book - whichever you prefer!) tha

20 September 2024

Fantastic fungi and where to find them

Fantastic fungi and where to find them

Fungi can be found all throughout the year, but as temperatures cool and dampness creeps in, fungi becomes more prominent. Here at Washington, we get a fantastic array of different shapes, sizes and colours of fungi. Here are our most common fungi with t

15 September 2024

Meet The Team:  Kate Ferguson - Reserve Warden

Meet The Team: Kate Ferguson - Reserve Warden

Join us as we sit down with Kate Ferguson, our Reserve Warden here at WWT Washington to get to know her better and learn more about what her day-to-day role entails.

12 September 2024

Photographing wetland wildlife in autumn

Photographing wetland wildlife in autumn

Enjoy some top tips for photographing wildlife at Washington Wetland Centre this autumn thanks to our volunteer photographer, Ian Henderson

10 September 2024