Washington news
Common crane chick hatches at WWT Washington
A common crane chick has hatched at Wearside’s WWT Washington Wetland Centre, a first for three years! The youngster hatched on Wednesday 21 May – a week before the wetland centre celebrated it’s 50th birthday – under the watchful eyes of its p
17 June 2025
Meet the team: Gill Pipes - Centre Manager (part 1)
This June, we're excited to chat to our leader Gill Pipes, Centre Manager at WWT Washington! Gill has been on a long journey with the centre, developing a love of the site from a young age. In this first part of Gill's Q&A, she talks about the rewards and challenges of her role, and how the team collaborate for a shared goal.
12 June 2025
WWT Washington hits 50 year milestone and celebrates its history!
The popular wildlife centre initially opened to the general public in May 1975, transforming from rugged and hilly farmland to a haven for wildlife and people.
23 May 2025
WWT Washington's Wet Wood reopens to the public
After over a decade of being closed to visitors, the team at WWT Washington have reopened Wet Wood as part of the centre's 50th birthday celebrations on Thursday 29 May!
21 May 2025
Upcoming celebrations for 50th birthday of Wearside nature reserve
WWT Washington Wetland Centre is celebrating its 50th birthday next week and invites everyone to share their memories. First opening on the morning of 29 May 1975 at a cost of 40p for adults and 20p for children, the visitor centre–which runs adjacent
19 May 2025
Meet the Team: Owen Wright - Volunteer photographer
This month we say 'hello' to one half of our volunteer photographers, Owen Wright. We know that capturing the moment at our wetlands is something many photographers enjoy, and Owen is no exception. In this Q&A, he tells us what he enjoys most about his role.
9 May 2025
Spring photography hints and tips
Enjoy some top tips when it comes to photographing wildlife at Washington Wetland Centre thanks to our own volunteer photographer, Ian Henderson
13 April 2025
Wigwam home hoping to entice bearded tit to WWT Washington
The reserve team at WWT Washington Wetland Centre have been working hard to introduce new habitat around the saline lagoon for a number of birds. More recently, their focus has been on bearded tits! A quirky wigwam has been purpose built out of materials
11 April 2025
Meet The Team: Ruby Miller - Learning Officer
This April, we're excited to sit down with Ruby Miller, our incredible Learning Officer at WWT Washington! Ruby joined our team a year ago, combining her passion for environmental education with her love for birds (she's a self-proclaimed bird nerd!). In this Q&A, Ruby shares the joys and challenges of her role, from coordinating school visits to managing spontaneous wildlife encounters.
4 April 2025
Sand martin return to WWT Washington after a bumper first breeding season
The first sand martins of the season have arrived back at WWT Washington Wetland Centre and are raring to go for a second breeding season.
2 April 2025
Dedicated team helps create new breeding spaces
WWT Washington's reserve team repair and prepare owl boxes ahead of breeding season, with support from dedicated volunteer Ellie.
28 March 2025
Meet The Team: Matthew Gilbert - Reserve Placement Student
At WWT Washington, our dedicated team works tirelessly to protect and enhance the reserve for wildlife and visitors alike. Behind the scenes, our Reserve Placement Students play a crucial role in conservation efforts, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the field. Meet Matthew Gilbert, one of our current Reserve Placement Students. Originally from London, Matt studied Ecology and Wildlife Conservation and has gained hands-on experience across various conservation organisations in the UK. Now, he’s bringing his skills to WWT Washington, where no two days are the same!
5 March 2025
A celebration of Mimi the otter
What can we say about Mimi? After a short illness, we lost our Asian short-clawed otter matriarch Mimi last week. She was an incredibly important otter for conservation, as well as being much loved by our team and our supporters. To commemorate the loss
4 March 2025
Early signs of spring around our wetlands
It might still be chilly out there, but some early spring signs are already starting to appear around our wetlands. There’s something rather exhilarating about the arrival of this most hopeful of seasons; the natural world on the cusp of new life and n
26 February 2025
It's National Nestbox Week!
Nature is a truly wonderful thing, but sometimes it does need a bit of help to thrive. Nest boxes are a great way to help your local wildlife this spring. This #NationalNestBoxWeek, why not think about introducing a box to your garden! Britain’s breedi
14 February 2025