Conservation
New partnership set up to save threatened curlews
WWT has joined forces with eight other conservation organisations to help protect the curlew, one of the most iconic and most threatened bird species in the UK.
4 March 2021
Storm Darcy forces Bewick’s swans to make rare migratory U-turn
A flock of Bewick’s swans which had begun their epic migration from Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire to the Arctic tundra have turned back to avoid the latest ‘Beast from the East’. Conservationists at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
12 February 2021
Winter brings its own special beauty to our wetlands.
As the centre is currently close, we have decided to show you, a bit of what is happening behind the scenes. Get a snapshot of our reserve management work and uncover the fascinating wildlife.
8 February 2021
Fighting water with wetlands – WWT urges the creation of more nature-based solutions to combat flooding
In the aftermath of Storm Christoph, The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) is calling for more nature rich wetlands in the UK to help stop repeats of this type of catastrophic flooding. Conservationists are making a fresh push for a re-think on flood p
27 January 2021
Stories from the Russian Arctic
With Bewick's numbers falling by 40 percent since the mid-1990s, and as many as a third having shotgun bullet pellets in their bodies, WWT has been working with the local community in their Russian breeding grounds to help conserve these endangered swans
13 January 2021
Ambitious wetland project launched to improve livelihoods of 10,000 people in Madagascar receives international funding
WWT’s aim to enhance biodiversity, boost livelihoods and fight climate change through the improved management of protected wetlands in Madagascar has received financial backing from the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacif
18 December 2020
WWT receives grant of £1.58m to protect and enhance Somerset coast
WWT's ambitious new project to safeguard the Somerset coast from the effects of climate change has received a £1.58m donation as part of the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. It is one of the first environmental projects awarded a gr
10 December 2020
Rising temperatures are triggering changed responses in animal populations in the Arctic, new data shows
The Arctic is in the process of entering a new ecological phase, which potentially carries a huge cost for humanity. WWT have taken part in a global study to shed light on how climate change might be affecting high Arctic species.
5 November 2020
Nights, camera, action! Device to record voyaging eels during hours of darkness installed at Gloucestershire reserve marking World Fish Migration Day
A new acoustic camera has been fitted at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre to monitor eels embarking on their epic migratory voyage.
24 October 2020
Famous artist’s work up for auction to raise money for spoon-billed sandpipers
Internationally renowned bird sculptor, Guy Taplin, whose works have been snapped up by the likes of Michael Palin and Jacqueline Onassis, is selling one of his bird sculptures to help WWT save the spoon-billed sandpiper.
15 October 2020
Living Planet Report shows a dramatic decline in freshwater species - giving more urgency to implement Emergency Recovery Plan
A key element of the 2020 Living Planet Report's Freshwater Deep Dive, this scientific paper outlines a revolutionary plan to reverse the rapid decline in the world’s freshwater species and habitats while protecting our life support systems.
10 September 2020
EU countries choose health over poison in historic vote to ban lead shot in wetlands
A huge leap towards ending the suffering of millions of waterbirds from lead poisoning has been taken following a momentous vote to ban lead shot in and around wetlands.
4 September 2020
The only black-winged stilts to hatch in the UK this year have successfully fledged in Somerset
A trio of black-winged stilt chicks have flown the nest at WWT Steart Marshes, where to the disbelief of conservationists, they hatched last month. This is the first time the rare wader has ever nested at the reserve and it is the most western point in
25 August 2020
Swans reserve aggression for each other, new research has found
Despite their hostile reputations, swans ruffle each other's feathers rather than other birds, according to a study commissioned by WWT and the University of Exeter. Of all three swan species observed; whooper, Bewick’s and mute swans were most frequen
18 August 2020
WWT joins coalition calling for long-term plan for England's beavers
The Government should allow wild beavers to remain in England and expand naturally through river catchments, with robust local management and monitoring of the animals, say members of a coalition which includes WWT. The call for an English Beaver Strateg
17 August 2020