Canolfan Gwlyptir Genedlaethol Cymru
Management and funding
The WWT National Wetland Centre Wales is one of nine Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) centres throughout the UK and is the WWT centre for Wales.
WWT operates nine UK centres as well as undertaking substantial environmental management, research and public education programmes. WWT centres are operated as visitor attractions with the aim of 'bringing people and wildlife together for the benefit of both'. They are economically self-supporting, depending on visitor admissions and secondary spend, membership fees, donations and legacies for income. Almost one million people visit the nine WWT centres each year. Developments are normally funded from grant-giving bodies, corporate and individual sponsorship.
The WWT National Wetland Centre Wales is funded mainly through membership and admission fees. Secondary spend is also obtained through the shop, coffee and education. The annual visitation has risen over the years to approximately 50,000. The number of WWT members in Wales is around 7,500. Government grants, legacies, trusts and some private sector funding is also available.
Founded/opened
The WWT National Wetland Centre Wales was officially opened as a WWT centre in 1991 by David Attenborough.
Description
The WWT National Wetland Centre Wales runs a visitor centre, a reserve and a collection of wildfowl from around the world. The site is alongside Loughor Estuary - part of the Burry Inlet and Carmarthen Bay, a site of international Ramsar status for its overwintering birds.
Key species/features
The centre is in several parts. The Grounds (40 acres) where the collection birds are kept and through which visitors can also visit hides to look over the saltmarsh and a specially created saline lagoon, which we manage (200 acres). There are also the Millennium Wetlands created in the 1990s and opened in 2000 in partnership with the Millennium Commission, Carmarthenshire County Council, Welsh Development Agency and Welsh Water. This is a 200 acre freshwater reserve built on old farmland to provide habitat for a range of winter and summer bird visitors as well as to secure and enhance the considerable population of Water Vole which was there before the reserve was developed.
The Millennium Wetlands consist of a wide range of wetland and other habitats - old hedges, for example - and provides an important case study of how industry and conservation can work together, as well as of the history of the use and management of the saltmarsh over the centuries.
General
The WWT National Wetland Centre Wales follows the WWT curriculum for the conservation of wetlands and their biodiversity as well as WWT's Learning for Life policy and education guidelines.
Interpretation and exhibitry
Interpretation of the centre includes discovery trail boards around the grounds for visitors to explore and learn about a range of themes depending on the time of year. Notice boards are erected beside the ponds and woodland areas to inform visitors of the various types of wildfowl.
We also have a Discovery Centre where interpretation and activities help visitors to engage with the use of water in our lives and some of the marvels of animal adaptation and ecological principles.
A lot of interpretation is led by staff or volunteers. Many of the events we organise communicate wetland messages.
Formal (school and university) learning
The centre runs various programmes for schools based on the 'WISE UP to Wetlands' philosophy of WWT. The areas considered in detail follow the acronym WEBS (water, ecology, biodiversity, sustainability).
Both internal and external programmes are tailored towards the Welsh National Curriculum., Teachers can refer to the Learn area of this website for further information and material to help prepare for and follow up a visit. The centre programmes take place onsite and try to maximise the use of the animals and habitats we have as the key to teaching - avoiding traditional classroom methods.
The centre regularly caters for special needs groups. We also work with many university groups and provide research opportunities for students.
Informal (general public) learning
Guidebooks, maps and information about the centre and what it does are available in the shop.
Daily and seasonal events are ongoing and range from the trails around the grounds, pond dipping, art exhibitions, talks and walks. For more information, contact the centre directly (contact details given this profile).
We also run a Young Naturalists Club on the first Saturday of each month for children between the ages of eight and 13.
Professional
Centre staff contribute to various meetings with public, private and voluntary organisations at local, regional and national levels to help promote environmental initiatives. We have been involved, for example, with our Special Area of Conservation (SAC - a protected area status under the European Union Habitats Directive legislation) and the LBAP (Local Biodiversity Action Plan) partnership.
Staffing
There are 14 fulltime/parttime members of staff and approximately 50 volunteers. The Centre Manager has the following departmental heads - Education Officer, Marketing Officer, Grounds Manager, Trading Manager.
CEPA activities are led by the Education department , with one fulltime Education Officer and about 10 volunteers.
Contacts
Nigel Williams (Centre Manager)
E: nigel.williams@wwt.org.uk
Dominic Carmichael (Education Officer)
E: dominic.carmichael@wwt.org.uk
Estelle Evans (Marketing Officer)
E: info.llanelli@wwt.org.uk