News
Darwin Scholarship Programme
The UK Field Studies Council are launching the next round of their Darwin Scholars programme, which offers professional conservationists under the age of 35 the chance to spend two weeks in the UK learning basic techniques of biodiversity monitoring and i
5 December 2011
Four wrongs don’t make a fiscal right
The Severn Estuary, protected by European law. WWT/James Lees Chancellor George Osborne is wrong to so readily dismiss long-standing laws protecting sites and species. He suggested in Tuesday’s Autumn Statement th
2 December 2011
Thousands of seaducks go missing
Widespread declines in birds that spend most of their lives at sea are alarming conservationists. Long-tailed duck, Wolfgang Wander Seven species of seaduck that overwinter in the Baltic – a key wintering site -
30 November 2011
WWT Photography Competition autumn heat closes and winter heat begins!
The autumn heat of the 2010/11 WWT Photography Competition closed on 30 November, making way for the start of the winter heat. Almost 2,500 pictures were entered across five categories, which included Wetland Wildlife, World Wetlands and Young Photographe
30 November 2011
Studies point to rapid changes in the waterbird world, but what does it mean for conservation?
Two studies hitting the news this week have highlighted big changes for waterbirds. On Monday, a Finnish study measured how much later wildfowl in Northern Europe are setting off on their autumn migrations. Yesterday, the State of the UK’s Birds reports
25 November 2011
Swan-up and duck down, dramatic changes revealed in the UK's waterbirds
Press release on behalf of the following partnership: British Trust for Ornithology; Joint Nature Conservation Committee; Natural England; Northern Ireland Environment Agency; RSPB; Scottish Natural Heritage; and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Signs o
24 November 2011
Dramatic changes revealed in UK waterbird numbers
Shoveler - Tom Hines Signs of dramatic changes for some wetland birds are reported today as some species reach their highest and lowest recorded population levels in the UK in winter. Millions of ducks, geese, swans a
24 November 2011
Three heroes, a book and a legacy: Sir David Attenborough acclaims Scott and WWT
Sir David Attenborough at the London Wetland Centre (Nick Cottrell) “Make no mistake, Captain Scott was a hero and his party were great human beings,” Sir David Attenborough told a captivated audience at the Lond
18 November 2011
What’s the trick to counting flocks of birds?
Wilfowl at WWT's Slimbridge reserve (James Lees) Volunteers will spend this Sunday spotting and recording the thousands of waterbirds that migrate to the UK in winter. Staff and visitors at all nine WWT wetland r
16 November 2011
Truly iconic
Peregrine falcon at Slimbridge (James Lees) Iconic is a description that should be hard earned. Overused it loses significance but applying the word in the right place can raise the profile of an ailing species. Th
14 November 2011
From Russia with love: rare bird entrusted to British conservationists arrives in the UK
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation breeding programme is a collaboration between WWT, Birds Russia, Moscow Zoo and the RSPB working with colleagues from the BTO, BirdLife International, ArcCona and the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force. Over the we
14 November 2011
From Russia with love: spoon-billed sandpipers arrive in the UK
On Friday, conservationists escorted 13 spoon-billed sandpipers, one of the most endangered species on the planet, into Heathrow and onto their new home at WWT's headquarters at Slimbridge. This is the final stage of an epic journey for the birds, which h
14 November 2011
Swan named Mr Bond set to reveal migration secrets
Bewick's on Lake Ijsselmeer, Netherlands, on their way to the UK (Jacob Jorritsma) A graceful, feathered Mr Bond should soon be skyfalling into the UK to help scientists uncover more about its long migration rout
12 November 2011
The swan with the special something
Bewick's swan (Dominic Heard) It could be our love of the underdog or perhaps the mystery shrouding their spring and summer absence but there is definitely something special about Bewick’s swans. WWT founder S
11 November 2011
Wetlands Trust celebrates 65 years
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust is 65 today. WWT has saved species, pioneered scientific research and helped governments and communities reap widespread benefits from wetlands. Since its formation at Slimbridge in 1946, as the Severn Wildfowl Trust
10 November 2011