News and stories

09 Dec 2019

Start of winter brings first 'swanfall' at WWT Slimbridge

More than 50 swans have arrived at Slimbridge heralding the arrival of winter...

05 Dec 2019

Invasive plant species runs out of time after WWT hero stops it from reaching nature reserve

Slimbridge scientist has banished Himalayan Balsam from the canal during his lunchtime running sessions. ...

03 Dec 2019

WWT's Julia Newth discusses science, swans and Slimbridge

Swan expert Dr Julia Newth reveals what it is like being part of one of the longest studies of any single species. ...

02 Dec 2019

WWT Arundel’s Centre Manager Tim McGregor talks birds, humans and the wonder of wetlands

Centre Manager Tim McGregor reveals what it's like to be at the helm of WWT Arundel...

27 Nov 2019

Never seen before footage shows endangered fish embarking on 4000 mile journey

An eel has been recorded leaving Gloucestershire wetlands to begin its epic voyage to the Sargasso Sea, completing the final chapter of its life...

21 Nov 2019

2 for 1 admission to WWT centres for National Lottery players

This November get up close to stunning wetland wildlife thanks to The National Lottery!...

20 Nov 2019

Which swan's which? How to tell the difference between swan species

Did you know there are 3 species of swan who live in the UK at least some of the year? The UK is home to three types of swan: mute, Bewick’s and whooper. Learn to identify the difference between the migratory swan species. ...

12 Nov 2019

Good news for Godwits

Hundreds of school children from across the Fens have been inspired to get involved with Project Godwit. More than 500 “Godwit Guardians” have signed up to an innovative scheme, which allows them to pick a godwit and then follow its progress as it mak...

07 Nov 2019

Why WWT Slimbridge is called the birthplace of modern conservation

On a bright December morning in 1945 two men watched a large flock of geese feeding on the banks of the river Severn in Gloucestershire. As they watched they noticed that the flock contained several different species of geese. ...

30 Oct 2019

WWT Snapshot October 2019

Here’s a snapshot of just some of the wetland conservation work that’s been possible in the last three months due to your support for WWT. Around the world In Iceland, we’ve downloaded data from tags attached to Greenland white fronted geese e...

28 Oct 2019

Which animals hibernate in the UK? And how you can help them

Find out how and why animals hibernate, how hibernation actually works, and which wetland animals use hibernation as a survival technique during winter in the UK. ...

28 Oct 2019

The Leucistic Goose – Giant Flocks and the Glorious Glitches within them

Barnacle geese visit the Solway each year in their thousands and amongst the flock are a handful of rare birds that are a result of a genetic flaw...

21 Oct 2019

'Rice breast' prevalent in wildfowl, new research shows

Peer-reviewed research, coming from a joint British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) survey, has found the wildfowl disease sarcocystosis is both more prevalent and more widely distributed than previousl...

18 Oct 2019

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...

16 Oct 2019

Environment Bill launched at WWT London Wetland Centre

WWT London Wetland Centre hosted the launch of the Government’s long awaited Environment Bill, which includes measures to protect habitats including wetlands and water bodies into the future...