News
First hand-reared spoon-billed sandpiper returns to breed
The first hand-reared spoon-billed sandpiper has returned to breed in Chukotka, Russia, where it was hatched two years ago. The spoon-billed sandpiper is unique in the animal kingdom for being born with a spoon-shaped beak. Numbers have declined by a quar
25 June 2014
Flamingo chick numbers at all time high at Slimbridge
A flamingo flock is busy rearing 35 fluffy chicks smashing the previous record held for the species at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. The Greater Flamingo flock in Gloucestershire with 245 adult birds is the largest in Europe. In 2010 the flock re
24 June 2014
WWT Director recognised for contribution to conservation science
WWT Director of Conservation, Dr Debbie Pain, has been given the ZSL Marsh Award for Conservation Biology. The award is made annually by the Zoological Society of London for contributions of fundamental science and its application to the conservation of a
18 June 2014
New hides going in
Two new wildlife watching hides are being put in place at Steart Marshes over the next fortnight. One will be open for use by mid-July and the other will become accessible when the rest of the path network is opened in the autumn. The hides are made from
17 June 2014
New hides going in
Two new wildlife watching hides are being put in place at Steart Marshes over the next fortnight. One will be open for use by mid-July and the other will become accessible when the rest of the path network is opened in the autumn. The hides are made from
17 June 2014
New hides going in
Two new wildlife watching hides are being put in place at Steart Marshes over the next fortnight. One will be open for use by mid-July and the other will become accessible when the rest of the path network is opened in the autumn. The hides are made from
17 June 2014
Government overlooking cost effective and beneficial flooding solutions
Two clear opportunities to tackle flooding have been missed by Government, at the same time as publishing evidence of the economic benefits of those approaches. The economic report published by Defra’s advisers, Natural England, on Monday shows Sustaina
11 June 2014
Handbook to help Wetland Centres worldwide
Visitors to Wetland Centres all over the world could have an even better experience from this World Environment Day thanks to a new handbook published today with help from WWT Consulting and Wetland Link International. Wetlands are where land meets water
5 June 2014
Crane chicks mark start of first wild generation for western Britain
...well hello there! These newly-hatched chicks – filmed at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire – could be the first wild-born cranes to survive in the west of Britain for 400 years. The parent birds were hand-reared by The Grea
19 May 2014
New hope for spoon-billed sandpipers as hand-reared bird heads for breeding grounds
The hand-reared spoon-billed sandpiper is the one in the background with a green leg ring (c) Chung-Yu Chiang and Chin-Shi Hsu Good news this World Migratory Bird Day; the first of a hand-reared group of critically en
10 May 2014
WWT chairs global swan conservation effort
Eileen gives a wild whooper swan a health check WWT has taken on a lead role in global swan conservation, in the same year it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Bewick’s swan study, one of the longest running wil
25 April 2014
Class of 2014s first new arrival
The first hand-reared crane chick of 2014...NOT to be confused with the historic crane Easter egg out on the Slimbridge reserve that could produce the first wild-reared chick in western Britain for 400 years. Read on and a
24 April 2014
Historic Easter egg laid at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Crane pair - Monty and Chris - at WWT Slimbridge (c) Derek Cropton A pair of four-foot high Eurasian cranes has nested at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire, raising hopes they could rear the first succe
17 April 2014
WWT welcomes MPs' invasives report
Invasive and damaging - South American Water Primrose The UK’s much-loved wildlife needs to be protected from damaging invasive species – and WWT is urging the Government to act on MPs’ concerns published today
16 April 2014
WWT welcomes ban on damaging pond plants
South American water primrose: Oversized, overzealous and over here! British wildlife will be safer from damaging non-native plants due to a ban on the sale of some exotic species which comes into force this week. Plant stockists will no longer be able
7 April 2014