WLI update June 2009
June has been a busy month, see the update, with visitors from Ecuador, China and New Zealand, development of a world wetland health check for the World Wetland Network, and a trip to the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in the US. The SWS meeting gave us a chance to develop the WLI North America network, identifying lead partners and key issues to resolved. See the notes for more detail.
Working on the Wetland Health Check has also thrown up links with 
Ramsar's work, and we have made a lot of progress on how this could work; we still have some way to go, but are hoping that the approach will gain support over the next few months.
As part of the trip to the US, we went on a field trip to the International Crane Foundation, to see some of the great work that they are doing. Not only do they have an excellent visitor centre, run captive breeding programmes and promote crane conservation, but they also run international wetland conservation programmes along crane migration routes. This iconic species allows the ICF to engage people and overcome many of the political and geographical boundaries that often hinder conservation work. Good stuff!
WLI Update May 2009
Dear WLI colleagues,
Here is the link to the WLI May update. Pour les nouvelles de WLI, version francaise, veuillez cliquer ici. This month we held the WLI Europe planning meeting, hosted at Isola de la Cona in Italy. The group of a dozen people discussed issues around communication, resources, and support including suggestions for a new design for partner profiles, a more detailed manual on how to develop a wetland centre, and setting up regional lead partners - notes will be available soon.
I am also preparing for the WLI North America symposium, linked to the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in Madison, US. Download the flyer here. We have decided to put back the WLI Neotropics meeting to later in the year.
The recent international biodiversity day marked the impact of invasive species - for more info on what partners are up to go to our invasive page. Finally, the new website will be launched in June, so please keep an eye out for that.
WLI update April 2009
Dear All,
Here is the link to the WLI April update, cliquez ici pour les nouvelles de WLI, y chasquez aqui por los novedades de WLI. We are due to hold a WLI Europe meeting in Italy at the end of May, still holding a WLI N. America in the States at the end of June, and having slight difficulties confirming a WLI neotropics meet in early July.
We do have a new website - we are still tweaking it, so comments welcome. There is also a new 'forum' facility for communicating - please give it a go (if only to make sure it works!)
Next weekend is also International Migratory Bird Day - if you'd like to use WLI resources to help you take part, please click here for background info, photos and draft press releases for your use.
WLI update March 2009
Hello All,
March is upon us, here is the March update. Cliquez ici pour les Nouvelles de WLI. Chasque aqui para la Novedades del WLI versión española. We are making progress on the regional meetings planned for the US, Neotropics and Oceania. We have a new flyer for the WLI North America meeting, with Bill Mitsch, PhD of Olentangy Wetland Centre speaking - they have done some great work on wetland benefits. In the Neotropics, several partners are expressing interest in hosting a regional WLI event, working closely with Ramsar and it's regional centre, CREHO. In Oceania, we now have a flyer to advertise the event, which will be held in Australia at the Hunter Wetland Centre.
We also have the new logo, which is slightly amended from the original one below, to show wetlands, people and species. We hope that this is an improvement on the former logo, with a more instant message of what we do. Many thanks to all those who commented. Finally, here is the WLI Annual Report 2008, feel free to send to anyone you think would be interested.
WLI Update February 2009
Dear WLI colleagues,
Please click here to get the WLI February update, chasque aquí para la Novedades del WLI versión española, et cliquez ici pour les Nouvelles de WLI version française. Voting for the new WLI logo is now over, and here are the two logos that came out in front - both very different, and we will have to work hard to come to a final decision. Out of 45 votes cast, the logo with the ripples had 12 votes, and the logo in the circle had 11 votes. We will talk to the designers to find a way forward.
World Wetlands Day took place, and if you have any good projects that you'd like to put on the website, then please let me know. Events included an conference at Miyajiminuma, Japan, the National Wetland Trust of New Zealand's river trip, Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre, and the Bangladesh Nature Conservation Committee. Ramsar also put projects on their website.
The World Ramsar Book is now at its draft stage, and just needs checking by partners before it is printed in mid-March. It will be available as a downloadable PDF, with limited hard copies available too.
Regional meeting dates are now organised for North America on the 21st June in Wisonsin, US, and Oceania for the 28th to the 31st October at the Hunter Wetlands Centre in Austraila.
WLI update January 2009
Greetings from a snowy UK, and happy World Wetlands Day! Here is the WLI update for January, chasque aquí para la versión española, et ici pour la version français. Aside
from celebrating WWD, January is always a good time to plan work and think about approaches. For example, the website relies on your input to be useful to fellow wetland workers. It would be great to have any resources on running events; anything from choosing entertainment, to publicizing the event, using new and unusual approaches and engaging local people would be useful. Send it to chris.rostron@wwt.org.uk. If you haven't voted on the new WLI logo, please do - it's at new WLI logo. The World Ramsar Book is coming along nicely, we now have examples from every continent. Although it hasn't hit the early February deadline, we are hoping to produce it later in the month or early March.
WLI Update December 2008
December WLI newsletter. The run up to Christmas saw more discussions on the forthcoming WLI regional meetings in America and Oceania. Currently we are planning to hold side events at the 5th Global Environmental Education Conference in Montreal, Canada, in May and the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in Wisconsin, US, in June. Oceania regional meet is planned for October / November, possibly in Australia.
The skills audit had 25 responses, which showed that there is a wide variation in members' skill levels, offering opportunities for mentoring and peer support, with some key areas that will need development 
such as working with hard-to-reach groups and fund-raising.
Working with the Korean Wetlands Project we are attempting to put together a book of international Ramsar sites, showing how they are managed and promoted. The book will be published around World Wetlands Day - any partners with Ramsar sites in Africa, America or the Neo-tropics would be most welcome to contribute!
WLI Update November 2008
Late October and November saw three important meetings for WLI: the WLI Asia conference, the international NGO conference and the Ramsar COP10. These events all generated some great discussion and gave partners an opportunity to catch up with the work they are doing and plan work 
in the future - it's now up to us to see that these things don't get lost now we're all back in our own countries! See the WLI November newsletter for latest news.
Chris visited the Lake Biwa museum in Japan, an impressive visitor centre that offers locals the chance to really get involved in wetland conservation, both on site and in the wider countryside. The centre also has some great exhibits and education materials.
The WLI Asia meeting offered a great opportunity to catch up with a range of partners from across the continent - materials from presentations and discussions will be available from KFEM's website shortly. WLI signed an MoU with Suncheon city, outlining our commitment to work together, particular in progressing a new wetland centre for Suncheon Bay. We also agreed to hold the next meeting in Pakistan in two years' time.
The International NGO meeting, leading up to Ramsar, brought around 200 delegates together to discuss relevant wetland conservation issues on a CEPA theme. We agreed the Suncheon International NGO declaration, and proposed a new Wetland Restoration Award which was adopted later at the Ramsar COP10 meeting.
Finally, the Ramsar COP10 meeting took place at Changwon, with around 160 signatory countries agreeing 32 resolutions for wetland conservation, from biofuel to CEPA. Check the Ramsar Website for more detail. We also held the WLI side event, which came up with recommendations for progressing WLI including a focus on regional networks, emphasizing the social / cultural aspects of wetlands and finding a logo that reflects better what we do. We also set up a World WEtland Network, to give smaller wetland NGO's a voice in these types of conference, and to provide a peer-support structure between the meeting. More information will be available soon, check here for the terms of reference and workplan.
WLI newsletter September 2008
The newsletter is designed to come out once a month with updates from international, local and regional work. In September, the NorBalWet network met to share experience of wetland conservation around the Baltic Sea - a useful gathering of over 30 practitioners, showing how project experience can be shared effectively. WLI Asia meeting dates have been announced as the 22nd to the 24th October, preceding the international NGO meet, 25th to the 27th October, and the Ramsar COP from the 28th October to the 4th November, all in South Korea. The 5th World Congress on Environmental Education will be held in Montreal next May, see www.5weec.uqam.ca for more.
WLI-Global
Chris Rostron has now started in the post of Head of WLI, based at the London Wetlands Centre, UK. Chris has run a similar wetland conservation network across the UK, and is looking forward to taking on the challenge of providing support and resources to the WLI network.
"I am keen to make contact with all WLI members and find out what WLI can do for you. A key objective is to support and develop regional networks of wetland groups across the world, to really get the message about the importance of wetlands out to local communities, businesses and government". Please contact Chris on:WLI@wwt.org.uk
WLI-Canada - a new WLI regional network is born
WLI-Canada, a new WLI regional network was launched at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, Midland, Ontario on 27th August, 2007. Wye Marsh is an area of (mainly) Cattail swamp, fen, bog and woodland about two hours north of Toronto (www.wyemarsh.com and see their profile on this site). Wye Marsh has agreed to facilitate WLI-Canada and will be contacting their colleagues and friends in due course. Watch this space.
New WLI-Asia website launched - September 2007
Check out the new WLI-Asia website on www.wli-asia.org .
New WLI-Asia interschools programme
A new WLI-Asia interschools programme is underway. Follow the link from the home page of www.wwt.org.uk/wli
Hong Kong Wetland Park wins design award
Met Studios Design have won the prestigious 2007 Museums and Heritage International Award for the design of the Hong Kong Wetland Park. This was designed with the client (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservtion Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government) and various consultants/colleagues including the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). See www.museums and heritage.com/a_home.asp for details.
WLI-Asia symposium held in Hong Kong
The first WLI-Asia symposium was held at the Hong Kong Wetland Park (HKWP) during January 2007. The organisers included the current facilitators of WLI-Asia - the Hong Kong Government Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and WWF-Hong Kong.
Over 80 delegates attended (almost 120 if you include various dignitaries and others) from Bangladesh, China, India, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand as well as Australia, Kenya, Switzerland and the UK.
Delegates will have received a CD and DVD of proceedings. To view presentations, visit http://www.wli-asia-symposium.com/en/mainpage06.html
New Austrian Wetland Centre
Unterwasser Reich (Underwater World) Ramsar Centre opened in Schrems Nature Park, an area of ponds, lakes , brooks, floodplain and peat bogs in north eastern Austria, in April 2006.
The wetland centre represents a collaboration between the municipality of Schrems and WWF Austria.
The director is Michaela Bodner.
Details from www.unterwasserreich.at
If your existing or planned wetland centre is not a member of WLI, then please email the WLI Coordinator, chris.rostron@wwt.org.uk. Membership is free to wetland centres.
Hong Kong and London - A special relationship
The Hong Kong Wetland Park (HKWP), run by the HK Government's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), and the London Wetland Centre (run the international ngo Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust - WWT) have announced that they will twin with each other.
It is hoped that the twinning will help the two wetland centres develop joint marketing and training programmes, as well as initiating staff exchanges to develop capacity.
WLI in Iran
Malcolm Whitehead, WLI Coordinator, visited Iran in February 2006 to help develop CEPA around Iranian wetlands and the west and central Asian region.
Working with colleagues from the Iranian Department of the Environment, Ramsar Bureau, Ramsar Regional Centre for w. and c. Asia, the UK-based Field Studies Council,and the British Council, a number of meetings, conferences and training workshops were undertaken about wetland centres and CEPA for wetland wise use.
Some 200 people attended including Iranian and Afghan wetland/environmental professionals, relevant scientists, NGO workers, teachers, Province Governors and representatives from the UNDP Ramsar Wetland Project.
It is hoped that collaboration will continue in the future.
WLI and Ramsar sign memorandum of cooperation (MOC)
WLI and the Ramsar Convention signed a MOC at the Ramsar COP meeting in Uganda, November 2005.
Details of the MOC and the signing ceremony from:
www.ramsar.org/cepa/outreach_cepanews_e101.htm
Developing a wetland centre online manual
A manual about developing a wetland centre is available free from this website. Concentrating on the CEPA aspects of running a centre, it considers:
- Whether a wetland centre is the solution for you - why do you want one?
- What messages are you trying to convey?
- What audiences are you trying to reach?
- How to reach people through an interpretative approach
- Ways and means (treatments and media) of relaying messages and telling stories.
- Issues associated with developing and operating a wetland centre that is open to the public.
The manual is available in English, French, Spanish, simple Chinese and Portugese. Japanese and Russian versions are planned.