News
Red-breasted geese tagged for the first time
In one of the largest and most ambitious initiatives aimed at the conservation of a threatened wildfowl species to be conducted in Europe - the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) and RSPB (Royal Soci
31 January 2011
Six winners chosen for WWT photo competition 2010
The six winners of the WWT photography competition have been chosen by an expert panel chaired by photographer and TV naturalist Chris Packham. All finalists were invited to the winners’ day at WWT London Wetland Centre on Monday 24 January to be on h
26 January 2011
A very exciting adventure...
Hi all, sorry for the blogging silence but I have been sent to Madadgascar!! A team of staff from WWT – along with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and The Peregrine Fund and the Government of Madagascar – have been working to reverse the fort
7 January 2011
Freak weather conditions kill hundreds of endangered geese
Extraordinary weather conditions in the Kalmykya region of Southern Russia bordering the Caspian Sea have led to the deaths of at least several hundred - and possibly thousands - of rare geese. Snow and rain fell together, which in combination with vici
2 January 2011
Brazilian merganser is IUCN's Species of the Day
The Critically Endangered Brazilian Merganser is Species of the Day today on the IUCN Red List website. WWT has been working with colleagues in Brazil to help the birds recover from an estimated 250 individuals. It is hoped that by improving the quality
22 December 2010
Conservationists issue water challenge to Government
A unique coalition of 14 leading environmental organisations* has issued a joint call to the Coalition Government to take action on wasted water, pollution and wetland wildlife. The new Blueprint for Water is published today and sets out how the Governme
10 November 2010
Concern over missing crane
Conservationists in Somerset are growing increasingly concerned about the whereabouts of a Eurasian crane recently re-introduced to the county as part of the unique Great Crane Project and are appealing for the public to look out for the missing bird. Th
9 November 2010
Illegally shot ducks confirm lead poisoning still a serious problem for wetland wildlife
A report published today confirms that the law aimed at stopping toxic lead from poisoning water birds is not working. The study – published on the Defra website – found that 70% of wild ducks bought in England had been illegally shot with lead. E
9 November 2010
Busy week for feathered visitors to WWT Centres
This week has been a busy one with a variety of exciting arrivals at WWT Wetland Centres across the UK. • WWT Martin Mere have had the best autumn migration for 15 years, with over 1000 whooper swans on the mere and still over 25,000 pink-feet. The firs
5 November 2010
Study brings a temporary reprieve for the Severn Estuary
The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study, published today, brings a temporary reprieve for the Severn Estuary, the home of WWT. We welcomes news that the Cardiff-Weston Barrage, the largest scheme with the biggest potential impact on the wildlife and ha
18 October 2010
The state of the UK’s birds: a conservation barometer
As nations gather in Nagoya, Japan, next week, for the world biodiversity conference, a coalition of UK conservation organisations has today published a report using the UK’s birds as a barometer of conservation success. In 1994, the UK government ide
15 October 2010
Nature’s place in government policy
Last week, Defra published the results of a key study, Making Space for Nature, which reports how robust wildlife sites are across England, and on what might need to change in the future to safeguard nature right across the landscape. The findings are pr
28 September 2010
First winter migrants begin arriving at WWT reserves
As September draws to an end, WWT wetland reserves have begun to see the very first winter migrants arriving from countries such as Iceland and Russia. By mid-October we expect tens of thousands of Brent geese – most of the world’s population – to
27 September 2010
WWT aerial research secures new SPAs for waterbirds
Ground-breaking aerial research conducted by WWT has helped to secure two new EU Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in Liverpool Bay and the Outer Thames Estuary by demonstrating how important these areas are for red-throated divers and common scoters. The
23 September 2010
Short film promotes mission to save Madagascar pochard
A short film of last year's mission to Madagascar to rescue the endemic pochard from imminent extinction has been posted on YouTube. It tells the story of the team of WWT and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust staff who worked with the local Malagasy com
21 September 2010