WWT to create bigger, more connected wetlands in Wales thanks to funding boost
WWT, the wetland charity, has received £548,406 to carry out a three-year wetland creation and restoration project.
Made possible by funding from the Nature Networks Programme, WWT will carry out extensive wetland habitat creation and restoration works at WWT Llanelli.
The wetland charity’s only Welsh site, as well as the surrounding Tir Morfa coastline and wider Burry Inlet, will benefit from new and restored wetland habitats that will provide shelter for internationally important wintering birds and bring local people closer to nature.
Jo Jones, Site Manager at WWT Llanelli said: “This funding will help us to deliver a programme of work that will benefit wildlife, people and the surrounding local area of Carmarthenshire for generations to come.
“At WWT, wetlands are what we do. Creating and restoring both fresh- and saltwater wetlands in and around WWT Llanelli will create safe havens for spectacular birds to feed and breed – like the rare black-tailed godwit, lapwing and shoveler. Feeding areas for mammals and fish will also be built into the design of these new habitats, making welcome environments for species like otters and the critically endangered European eel.
“Inside WWT Llanelli itself, we’ll also look at ways we can improve the experience for the hundreds of thousands of visitors we welcome every year. New interpretation boards and viewing areas will be created along the Millenium Coastal Park Trail, and we’ll be restoring our flagship wildlife viewing hide to help people get up and close to the incredible wildlife spectacles these wetlands offer.”
The project will also see pioneering scientific work carried out, to help bolster the resilience of the wider Burry Inlet Special Protected Area against the impacts of climate change. WWT will bring together its expert scientists with local land managers, to look at ways of tackling climate change on the ground through local initiatives.
Jo continued: “WWT Llanelli and the wider area of Burry Inlet is beloved by the local community, so an important part of this project is looking at how we can make improvements now, that will benefit long into the future for generations to come. With the ever-increasing impacts and threats of climate change on our environment, building stronger, more resilient and inter-connected networks of wetlands has never been more important.”
The Tir Morfa Wetland Connections project is a three-year programme of works, funded by the Nature Networks Programme, which is being delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government.
Andrew White, Director of Wales at the Heritage Fund said: “At the Heritage Fund, supporting and strengthening our natural heritage is a key priority. We’re proud to be working with the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales to deliver this programme and help drive nature’s recovery across the country.”
The project will have an extensive positive impact on WWT Llanelli, the Burry Inlet Special Protected Area and Ramsar site, Carmarthenshire Bay, the Estuaries Special Area of Conservation and the Burry Inlet and Loughor Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Header image: An aerial image of the reserve at WWT Llanelli by Sam Stafford / WWT
