Consulting services

WWT’s consultancy was established to meet a growing demand for professional, scientifically sound advice on all issues related to wetlands.

Unparalleled expertise in wetlands

WWT are world-leading experts in the creation, restoration and management of wetlands as well as the design and operation of wetland visitor centres. Our consulting services make this expertise available to clients in the UK and internationally.

Our priorities

As part of WWT, our consultancy work is aligned to our charitable objectives and priorities, which are detailed within our organisational strategy.

Services we offer

We provide clients worldwide with services in the following four key areas:

Habitat design and management

Design, creation, restoration and management services for all wetland habitats.

Designing natural habitats to benefit target species, or providing services such as good protection requires specialist design knowledge. We offer a complete wetland habitat creation, restoration, enhancement and management advice service. This service has been used by clients throughout the world to create and restore wetland habitats for a range of objectives. These include biodiversity protection, livelihood support and water quality improvement.

• Community and stakeholder consultation
• Ecosystem service assessments
• Ecological survey and assessment
• Topographical and bathymetric surveys
• Hydrological assessmentv
• Water quality surveys
• Soil surveys
• Eco-hydrological surveys
• Biodiversity and water audits
• Concept design
• Full design service using CAD and GIS
• Construction plans and detailed specifications
• Planting plans and specifications
• Wetland construction
• Wetland plant supply and planting
• Site supervision of works
• Post restoration aftercare advice
• Wetland management planning and advice
• Habitat design training
• Wetland assessment and management training

Visitor centre planning and design

Masterplanning, design and interpretation services for wetland centres.

Creating wetland visitor centres that are financially sustainable, deliver their educational messages and attract visitors requires experience, creativity and a clear master planning process. We can offer these specialist skills and adopt an approach that addresses the needs of both wildlife and people. This allows us to provide our clients with a full service from concept, through feasibility and masterplanning.

• Stakeholder consultations
• Access and audience assessment
• Visitor analysis studies
• Facility assessments
• Concept design and development of architectural vision
• Interpretation, management and business planning
• Design of wildlife watching facilities
• Design of immersive visitor experiences
• Design of public blue and green spaces
• Site supervision of fabrication and installation
• Development of storylines and messaging
• Development of 3D and interactive exhibits
• Branding and graphic design
• Script writing, photographic and illustration commissioning
• Formal and informal environmental education review
• Educational resource development
• Masterplanning training
• Facility operation and habitat management training

Wetland treatment and SuDs

Design and construction of high-performance wastewater treatment and sustainable drainage systems that maximise biodiversity.

Design of wetland treatment systems that use natural processes to treat wastewater requires an innovative approach. We offers solutions for domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural wastewater to meet discharge consents. We also provide solutions for the management and treatment of surface water through sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Our specialist understanding of wetland habitats means we can ensure our systems are rich in biodiversity and fit aesthetically into the surrounding landscape.

• Stakeholder consultation
• Topographical surveys
• Hydrological assessment
• Water quality surveys
• Soil surveys
• Concept design
• Full design service using CAD and GIS
• Construction plans and detailed specifications
• Planting plans and specifications
• Wetland plant supply and planting
• Site supervision of works
• Operation/management guidance, training and advice
• Post-construction follow-up and support

Waterbird assessment and monitoring

Comprehensive survey and analysis services for all species of waterbirds.

Informed decisions rely on accurate and robust ecological data. WWT was one of the founders of modern waterbird monitoring techniques and was instrumental in establishing repeated, large-scale counts that underpin and inform measures such as the Ramsar Convention, EU Birds Directive, and national legislation. Our specialist knowledge and team of experts ensures that any assessments or monitoring are robust, well designed, and will answer the necessary questions.

• Desk-based/literature reviews
• Aerial surveys
• Roost counts
• Transect counts
• Ringing/mark-recapture
• Nest monitoring
• Radio telemetry
• Waterbird monitoring training and advice

The process

We work with clients to help shape their projects from initial ideas through to design, construction and operation. At all stages we facilitate close consultation with stakeholders and can provide training where required.

Feasibility - Can you create a wetland? Can you develop a visitor experience? Can you use a constructed wetland to treat your polluted water? - We establish whether your project is possible.

Concept design - What could it look like? How will it work? How much will it cost? - We bring your project to life producing visuals and innovative designs that attract buy-in from your stakeholders and funders.

Detailed design - What permissions do I need for my project? What plans do I need to provide for the contractor? How do I appoint a good contractor? - We provide a full design and planning support service, providing detailed designs and technical specifications for planning, tendering and construction.

Construction - What do I do if something comes up during construction that I can’t answer? How do I make sure the project stays on time and budget? How do I know the design is constructed correctly? - We oversee management of contractors and provide site supervision to ensure a high quality result.

Operation & Management - What type of management and staffing will I need? Do our staff need training to manage our project when it is opens? What will be the costs of operating the project? We deliver operation, maintenance, management and business planning advice and provide staff training and evaluation services.