Conservation

Endangered wetland species that still need our help

Endangered wetland species that still need our help

We’re passionate about protecting the wetlands habitats of some the most endangered species on the planet. Discover which species they are and why they seriously need our help.

12 March 2020

If we want to bring back farmland birds, restore a farmland pond, new research shows

If we want to bring back farmland birds, restore a farmland pond, new research shows

Researchers have shown that restored farmland ponds contained twice as many bird species and almost three times as many birds, compared to neighbouring unmanaged and overgrown ponds.

4 March 2020

'I would love more people to see the amazing world below the surface of wetlands' - My Wild Life with Dr Hannah Robson

'I would love more people to see the amazing world below the surface of wetlands' - My Wild Life with Dr Hannah Robson

Dr Hannah Robson, WWT's Wetland Science Manager, talks catching ducks in your pants, why she loves invertebrates and studying poo in the name of scientific research.

11 February 2020

'I want to make wetlands healthier for people and wildlife' - My Wild Life with Dr Ruth Cromie

'I want to make wetlands healthier for people and wildlife' - My Wild Life with Dr Ruth Cromie

Dr Ruth Cromie shares with Waterlife how she finds hope, good health and inspiration in nature and young people, and how WWT is creating ‘nearby nature’ by putting wetlands into the landscape.

4 February 2020

Protecting biodiversity at WWT Steart Marshes

Protecting biodiversity at WWT Steart Marshes

Life thrives in wetlands and by creating and managing habitats, we can improve an area's biodiversity. One of our shining examples of how we can do this on a grand scale is the Steart Marshes, a huge salt marsh reserve created in 2014.

2 February 2020

International Swan Census: January 2020

International Swan Census: January 2020

Internationally coordinated censuses of the Northwest European Bewick’s swan population have been undertaken across the swans’ European wintering range at approximately 5-year intervals since 1984, with the next census scheduled for the weekend of 11/

8 January 2020

The Big Brood Count!

The Big Brood Count!

Around the weekend of 14/15 December the Swan Specialist Group held a co-ordinated count in Europe to find out how many cygnets were born this year. The NW European wintering population has been declining since the mid-1990s. To try to understand this dec

23 December 2019

Feeding in the fields

Feeding in the fields

With winter in full swing, many Bewick’s swans have arrived at their wintering sites in northwest Europe. WWT’s centres provide some of the most important roost sites for the swans visiting Britain, with WWT Welney alone supporting more than 30% of Eu

11 December 2019

How Sir Peter Scott saved the nene goose, using conservation techniques we still use today

How Sir Peter Scott saved the nene goose, using conservation techniques we still use today

How did Sir Peter Scott save the nene goose and what are the pioneering breeding techniques WWT uses today to continue his legacy, saving species across the planet? Our story starts back in the 1950s, on Hawaii.

18 October 2019

Cambodia: the kingdom of wetlands

Cambodia: the kingdom of wetlands

Cambodia is one of the most wetland dependant countries in the world. More than 46% of its people live and work in wetlands and 80% of the population rely on them for food. Yet protecting wetlands in Cambodia is a complex and challenging issue.

20 September 2019

Fact file: Saltmarshes and mudflats

Fact file: Saltmarshes and mudflats

Saltmarshes and mudflats are tidal wetlands that are intermittently submerged with water, forming in sheltered coastal areas. They have a huge amount of biodiversity, and are valuable to humans as efficient 'carbon sinks' and flood protection.

19 September 2019

Club-rush in comeback at Arundel

Club-rush in comeback at Arundel

Last summer the team at WWT Arundel started the re-introduction of a plant that was once so rare in the UK that it was only found on the Tamar estuary in Devon, and then in a patch smaller than a doormat!

9 September 2019

Protecting Madagascar's wetlands: My Wild Life with Harison Andriambelo

Protecting Madagascar's wetlands: My Wild Life with Harison Andriambelo

Harison Andriambelo, WWT's Wetland Technical Advisor in Madagascar, writes about his love of wetlands and why it's so important that we recognise the importance and fragility of this habitat in Madagascar, as well as its forests.

5 September 2019

Alien Plant Meets a Mighty Foe at Llanelli Wetland Centre

Alien Plant Meets a Mighty Foe at Llanelli Wetland Centre

In a first for Wales, a microscopic sap-sucking mite has been introduced in a bid to help control invasive Australian wetland plant Crassula that chokes up bodies of water and vastly out-competes our native plants.

3 September 2019

What is the IUCN Red List, and how is it used to track biodiversity loss?

What is the IUCN Red List, and how is it used to track biodiversity loss?

The IUCN Red List is the most well-known assessment of species populations worldwide. It consists of nine threat categories. The latest assessment from the IUCN Red List in 2019 shows that more than 28,000 species are threatened with extinction.

19 July 2019