We're making some changes at WWT Castle Espie

A new vision for our Northern Irish wetland stronghold

You may have seen we've recently announced changes to the way we operate at some of our wetland sites, to make sure they thrive long into the future.

Every single one of us is impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. Charities like ours are continuing to see the skyrocketing of the price of goods and services, and competition for vital funding becoming increasingly fierce. Despite that, our mission as the wetland charity has not changed. And, as we see the real-life impacts of extreme weather events like heatwaves and flooding occurring more regularly and with more intensity, it's more important than ever.

We have so much more to do to restore and protect our wetlands and the amazing wildlife that live within them. That's why we're putting our focus, right now, on making sure the charity is financially sustainable.

Our 10 wetland sites are absolutely at the heart of what we do at WWT. They're windows into wetlands; beautiful spaces for people to get up close to nature and forge ever-lasting memories with wildlife, with friends, while also building a strong sense of community. As we focus on the charity's financial sustainability, it's become clear that we must shift how we operate at our sites to safeguard their long-term future.

At WWT Castle Espie, this means we will be making some changes to make sure the site operates in a financially sustainable way, while still having the greatest impact.

On 15 July, we put forward proposed changes to our staff, to the way we run WWT Castle Espie. These changes are designed to make sure it operates in a financially sustainable way, while still having the greatest impact for nature. This means that we are now in a period of formal consultation with the team here, during which time we are unable to comment on the detail of the proposed changes.

The site will not be closing. But the way it operates will look different in the future.

We can't do our work without the support of our members, supporters, visitors, partners and donors. We want to thank every single person who is helping us to protect our superpowered wetlands for generations to come and for your patience and understanding during this period.

Use this page to stay up to date with changes and our future plans for WWT Castle Espie.

Your questions answered

Essential information for visitors

: Yes, but we always suggest you check our website before planning your visit.

: No. We are committed to WWT Castle Espie remaining open, offering incredible wetland nature experiences to people from all walks of life.

We're currently consulting with our people at WWT Castle Espie. Until this consultation period is concluded, we cannot confirm details on any changes.

As part of our work to ensure WWT is operating in a financially sustainable way, we're looking at ways to improve and adapt how we work across all of our 10 wetland sites, as well as in our central teams.

Each of our sites has their own unique character, challenges and opportunities, and each serve their own purpose to their communities and members. So, we must individualise and adapt the operation of each site, to properly safeguard their long-term future.

For some time, our sites with historically lower visitor numbers, including WWT Castle Espie, have been operating in a financial deficit. Until recently, our sites which attract more visitors and investment, have been able to support and subsidise them. However, as rising costs and financial pressures increase, this model is no longer sustainable. This means we must reduce the financial deficit gap, and bring our sites like Castle Espie closer to a place where our costs aren't outweighing our income.

Information for visitors

As a charity, we can't do our work without the incredible support of our members and supporters, and we want to thank every single person who visits our sites, engages with our work and is helping us create a movement to protect our superpowered wetlands for generations to come.

We're currently consulting with our people at WWT Castle Espie. Until this consultation period is concluded, we cannot confirm details on any changes to membership.

As a valued member, your support is more important than ever. However, if you would like to discuss options for your membership please contact our supporter services team on: 01453 891198 or supporter@wwt.org.uk.

: From volunteering and donating, to sharing our story and visiting our sites, there are many ways that you can support our work that we do to restore wetlands and unlock their powers. If you would like to donate to support WWT Castle Espie, please visit our website.