WWT Washington's Wet Wood reopens to the public

Northeast nature reserve WWT Washington Wetland Centre is inviting visitors to take a tour of newly reopening Wet Wood – a rare wetland habitat that hasn’t been seen by the public for over a decade!

At the heart of Wearside's WWT Washington Wetland Centre sits a habitat unlike any other on the 103-acre site. Home to hundreds of native trees, numerous fern species and meandering streams, Wet Wood brings a magical quality and offers a space of tranquillity and peace.

Over the last year, the team of staff and volunteers at WWT Washington – led by reserve manager John Gowland – have been working hard to restore the area after over ten years of rewilding. They've cut endless vegetation to open up glades, dug up large amounts of soil to create new water channels, built dozens of leaky dams to steer the water and slow down its flow, as well as fixing and relaying pathways, creating new natural fence lines and planting over 200 native trees in the area; all to enhance the area and open it up as part of the visitor experience once more.

John said: "The team have worked incredibly hard over the last year to get this area ready for reopening to visitors, all on top of their already busy schedules. The area is a fantastic example of biodiversity with lots of plant species to enjoy and bird calls to listen out for."

The red-listed willow tit (pictured below by visitor Mark Whitelock) is one of many birds can be regularly seen and heard in the woodland. This species has been the focus of an on-going project by the team at WWT Washington, with Wet Wood offering another fantastic opportunity for visitors to learn more about this species.

John commended: "The habitat in and around Wet Wood is incredibly diverse and offers an insight into what can be achieved when woodland meets water. We know from our research over the past 2 years that willow tits prefer breeding in areas of standing deadwood nearer water sources, and there have been several breeding attempts by this special bird species around these woodlands. Our work to restore the area will bring benefits for willow tit and many other bird species.

"We were also thrilled to find a small gathering of royal fern, a plant that hasn't been found anywhere else on our reserve. We're hoping to build on this find and introduce this fantastic plant to other areas of Wet Wood."

Royal ferns thrive in damp, wetland environments and bring their own superpowers, not only acting as its own habitat for invertebrates, amphibians and small mammals, but it can also help support wetland restoration, improving soil stability and air quality. As a large growing plant, they offer ground cover and surfaces which can help support the growth of other plants and restore local ecosystems. They are also water specialists, absorbing excess nutrients that improve water quality - a vital role for working wetlands!

John added: "I'm really proud of what we've managed to achieve as a team. We have lots of plans and ideas moving forward and there will continue to be lots of changes for visitors to enjoy throughout the seasons. We're really looking forward to showing people around this fantastic woodland and are keen for our supporters to feed into our plans to help steer how we develop Wet Wood over the coming months and years."

Wet Wood will be reopening as part of the centre's 50th birthday celebrations on Thursday 29 May, when they are inviting visitors down to enjoy a cake and a drink before taking a guided tour to experience the magic of the area for themselves. The woodlands will be a permanent feature in the visitor experience for everyone to enjoy now and into the future.

Keep an eye out for future art trails and engagement opportunities, plus special creative workshops, which will be announced later this year.

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