News
WWT Snapshot July 2018
Thank you to everyone who has donated, joined, visited, volunteered and supported WWT this year in so many ways. You are supporting huge amounts of conservation work around the world. Here's just a sample of what you've helped to achieve in the last th
2 August 2018
Rare plant with roots in south returns to Arundel after century's absence
A total of 400 triangular club-rushes have been planted over an area of 20 square metres which will be managed by WWT at Arundel Wetland Centre to reverse the hands of time and encourage the shrub to seed.
2 August 2018
Changes to UK farming unlikely to have affected Bewick's swans
Changes to UK farming practices probably didn’t cause a crash in the number of Bewick’s swans, according to new research from WWT. The Bewick’s swan population fell by nearly 40 per cent between 1995 and 2010. The swans feed largely in farmers’
31 July 2018
Think pink! WWT's Paul Rose tells us why his job is flamin-good
Famous for their flamboyancy, few can argue that the flamingo isn’t one of the most fascinating animals on earth. With their hot pink plumage, fabulous dancing skills, upside down beaks and one-legged stance, they make great birds to study. Our very ow
25 July 2018
Chris Packham's Caerlaverock visit unearths unusual discovery
A rare bug - never recorded in Scotland before – was discovered during Chris Packham’s Caerlaverock visit. Two rare saucer bugs, Ilyocoris cimicoides, were spotted by eagle-eyed local expert naturalist, Bob Merritt in a pond on the reserve. Up unti
24 July 2018
Big Butterfly Count
Visitors to WWT wetland centres can help save butterflies by recording how many they see – and help themselves feel good at the same time. You can pick up a Big Butterfly Count 2018 spotter sheet until 12th August, and record how many butterflies you
20 July 2018
Cranes here to stay, new model predicts
The UK’s tallest bird – the common crane – is here to stay and we could have as many as 275 breeding pairs within 50 years, according to the latest population model from scientists at the University of Exeter, WWT and RSPB published in Animal Conser
17 July 2018
Monitoring Plant Changes Over Time
In 2015, as part of a monitoring programme funded by the Environment Agency, areas of the reserve within the 3 main wetland habitats, freshwater, brackish and saltwater were surveyed for the plants that were present. Known as the National Vegetation Class
16 July 2018
Heart to tackle climate change
WWT Arundel Wetland Centre welcomed its local MP for afternoon tea as part of a national climate change awareness campaign. WWT is part of an umbrella group called the Climate Coalition who each year invite MPs to visit local groups to discuss climate
9 July 2018
Out and About with the Steart Marshes Team
Brymore Academy Open Day and Country Fair - Saturday 30 June 2018 The Steart Marshes team were out at Brymore for a very successful open day at the weekend. As well as an opportunity to find out about the school, the day includes an agricultural show, vin
3 July 2018
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
Bristol UWE Field Trip
On the 30 May, as part of the Advanced Ecosystems Conservation in Practice, Masters students from Bristol UWE came to WWT Steart Marshes for the second year in a row. Utilising the reserve as the fantastic outdoor learning space that it is, they learnt s
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