News
The latest on lead - a thank you for your support
A big thank you to everyone who has signed our petition calling for an end to the use of lead shot in shooting and raised awareness of the damage that spent lead gunshot causes to wild birds who eat it, mistaking it for grit. Your support has already made
19 November 2012
We've lost 44 million birds since 1966, including an average of 50 house sparrows every hour
Since 1966, we’ve lost breeding birds from our countryside at an average rate of a nesting pair every minute, say a group of conservation organisations in a report published today (Monday 19 November, 2012). These shocking statistics are contained in th
19 November 2012
Government scores poorly on tackling drought risk
The risk of flooding and water shortage in 2013 has increased because the Government is too slow in changing the way we manage our water, environmental leaders warn. The authors of the ‘Blueprint for Water’ report say that after two dry winters, it to
6 November 2012
Lead shot poisoning - more voices say look for alternatives
Concerns that lead poisoning from gunshot can affect animal and human health have widened, following a scientific paper by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) which suggests a third of waterbirds sampled suffer from lead poisoning through eating lead
23 October 2012
NGOs meet with Peter Hain to raise concerns about Severn Barrage
WWT and a group of environmental and angling Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) met today with Peter Hain MP to raise their concerns about the impact of a tidal power barrage which he is championing for the Severn Estuary. The Severn Estuary is one of
17 October 2012
Rare birds arrive before diggers finish creating new Somerset nature reserve
White-rumped Sandpiper (Tim Taylor) A rare white-rumped sandpiper is the latest unexpected arrival on the Steart peninsula, Somerset. It is currently recovering on a flooded field, despite being surrounded by one of t
21 September 2012
August podcast: Bats and other summer wildlife
Pipistrelle bat - R J Brookes / Bat Conservation Trust In this edition, volunteers Victor West and David Cowmeadow share their knowledge and enthusiasm for WWT London Wetland Centre and its wildlife. We talk about the
9 August 2012
WWT has first film entry to Wildscreen Festival
[gallery] WWT has, for the first time, had a film entry accepted into the Wildscreen Festival – one of the most prestigious and influential events in the wildlife and environmental filmmaking industry. The WWT Saving the Madagascar Pochard film follows
1 August 2012
A first for me and Martin Mere
We have successfully hatched two Magpie geese goslings at Martin Mere in the last three days - this is a first for the centre and the first time that I have ever seen the goslings. We have always had magpie geese at the centre, even when I was grounds m
24 July 2012
Orinoco photo montage.
We are quite proud to have reared 10 stunning Orinoco geese this year. These hugely delicate birds are one of the prettiest of the sheldgeese, and hugely popular in collections across the country. None have been bred at Slimbridge for many a year, and st
20 July 2012
Beaver kitts confirmed
We have seen on the webcam that we have at least one beaver kitt born this year. The kitt would have been born around February / March as they don't come out of the lodge for a few months. So far we have only seen the one, but if you could let me know i
16 July 2012
Shared childcare in the flamingo's world
Visitors to the Caribbean flamingos' enclosure will no doubt be aware that the little bundles of fluff, until fairly recently confined to the tops of the nest mounds are now running around all over the enclosure. You will often find several chicks (of dif
15 July 2012
Global conservation agreement leads to ecosystem approach to health
Prevention is better than cure, is the message that came from governments around the world this week as countries signed up to a new approach to managing health in wetlands. The 162 signatories to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands yesterday agreed to adop
13 July 2012
Opening of compost toilets
We have opened the compost toilets by the canoe safari today. These are completely odourless and waterless toilets. There are 2 there and both are uni-sex, disabled access and baby changing. They work in a very unique way. Under each toilet is 2 compartme
13 July 2012
1 to 1 meetings & vending machines
I was in a meeting all day yesterday with my line manager looking at some exciting future projects at Martin Mere such as the current use of the building and how we can improve it, what we can offer indoors and the developments that are happening outside.
12 July 2012