Waterlife 224 March/June 2024

WaterLIFE The WWT magazine | 224 | March-June 2024 | £4.25 | wwt.org.uk

Nature to make your heart skip a beat

flights of

fancy

Clean dream

Family matters

Plant power

How wetlands clean water to give nature a fighting chance

Put the fun back into days out with activities for all ages

Know your bogbean from your frogbit? You will with our guide

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welcome HEADQUARTERS

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT wwt.org.uk supporter@wwt.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410. Copyright © WWT 2024 CENTRES

For full location, address and contact details, visit the individual centre pages on our website – wwt.org.uk/visit WWT Arundel 01903 883355 WWT Caerlaverock 01387 770200 WWT Castle Espie 028 9187 4146 WWT Llanelli 01554 741087 WWT London 020 8409 4400 WWT Martin Mere 01704 895181 WWT Slimbridge 01453 891900 WWT Steart Marshes 01278 651090 WWT Washington 0191 416 5454 WWT Welney 01353 860711 WATERLIFE

The magazine of WWT For WWT Managing editor: Sophie Bursztyn waterlife@wwt.org.uk Editorial board: Tomos Avent, Jon Boardman, Helen Deavin, Andrew Foot, Geoff Hilton, Peter Lee, Penny Read, Mark Simpson For Sunday Consultant editor Sophie Stafford Head of content Lucy Ryan Sub-editor Emma Johnston Lead creative Rob Hearn Senior designer Emily Black Group account director Emma Franklin Editorial director Richard Robinson Creative director Sam Walker Production director Michael Wood Contributors Amy-Jane Beer, Paul Bloomfield, Dominic Couzens, Barney Jeffries, Derek Niemann and Mike Unwin

WE’RE APPROACHING THE NEW SEASON with an extra spring in our step. It’s fair to say we have been overwhelmed by the positive response to our new strategy. People have said that it is ambitious, and quite rightly, because it is. Members, supporters, industry and government – all are finally aware that the time for wetlands is now. They can see their superpowers and the importance of restoration, so let’s get on and do it.

This issue reflects that positivity – from looking at wetlands’ role in improving water quality (page 12) to an exciting and imaginative new visitor experience that you can share with us called Words for Wetlands (pages 4 and 39). We also introduce our new conservation director Clare Dinnis (page 35).

Life is coming back to our wetlands with the welcome burst of spring. You’ll see it in the exhilarating landscapes of Caerlaverock, Welney, Llanelli and Steart; at intimate sites such as Castle Espie, Washington and Arundel; and in the big experiences of our three largest sites, Martin Mere, London and Slimbridge. At them all, you can get up close to nature and feel part of a wetland community.

Even if you live close to one of these wonderful wetlands, don’t forget that your membership gives you access to all of them.

For inspiration to rove further afield, see page 38.

Last autumn, I was at Caerlaverock and I met a couple of members who came from near Slimbridge. They had never been to Caerlaverock before and were completely blown away by what they saw out there. So this spring, why not broaden your horizons? Support us with your presence and your voice in speaking up for wetlands. Tell your friends and family, and spread the word so that they can all be amazed, too.

Waterlife is printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd on Leipa Mag Gloss, an FSC® certified paper containing 100% recycled content.

Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of WWT.

ISSN: 1752-7392

Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive

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Cover photo: Ian Howarth, Norfolk hawker dragonfly at WWT Welney. Wagtail, Malcolm Taylor at WWT Slimbridge. Envelope photo: Alamy, Nature PL

contents

20

12

in this

ur views

yo 11 for See page of your an array nd photos a ces experien

issue ...

30

NEWS

Features

04 Words matter

12 Clean water

20 Photo fame

30 Family fun

42 Spring fever

Be inspired by our new Words for Wetlands across all centres.

The cleaning superpowers of wetlands explained.

The winners of our 2023 photography competition in focus.

Wild ways to have fun with the little ones at WWT centres.

Dr Amy-Jane Beer on the vigour and vulnerability of nature.

06 Blue power

18 Sand martins

28 Wetland flora

35 New moves

The positive impact of our blue prescribing programme.

Celebrating the intrepid travellers as they return to our centres.

Identify and grow wetland plants with our handy guide.

Meet Clare Dinnis, WWT’s new Director of Wetland Conservation.

08 Mekong magic Our Mekong Delta work breathes new life into local landscapes.

10 Funding news How your support is helping wetlands and their wildlife to thrive.

inspiration

Passing on the gift of nature To learn more and request your free Guide to Gifts in Wills, contact our Legacy Team giftsinwills@wwt.org.uk 01453 891150 | wwt.org.uk/gifts-in-wills

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36 Water ways Ten simple steps to be a water warrior in your own home and garden.

38 Get closer A round-up of this season’s activities at our sites.

WWT Gift cardS The perfect gift all year round, cards are redeemable in our shops, restaurants and admissions. wwt.org.uk/shop

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THE

NEWS REED

Spotlights on wildlife and habitat conservation projects, events and fundraising news…

Empowering the global wetlands community

Our new online WWT Wetland Learning Hub is already building the expertise and confidence of people delivering wetland conservation around the world.

One of our core ambitions is to support 25,000 wetland conservationists globally to be more effective. So last year, thanks to your support, we launched a course on Wetland Health and Vitality, which we developed with the help of international colleagues. Hosted on The Nature Conservancy learning website, the course involved 16 expert lecturers and covered four key

areas: how wetlands work; how to manage and monitor wetlands; socioeconomic and other benefits; and how to engage people in protecting wetlands.

It also included assessment quizzes and online tutorials with lecturers.

More than 60 participants from 40 countries took part, working across government departments, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.

Aerial view, Boeung Prek Lapouv wetlands.

A final evaluation of the course is ongoing, but initial responses have been hugely positive.

“The course bolstered my knowledge and provided tools to engage stakeholders in the management and conservation of wetlands,” says Agatha Muthale Chisha, a participant from WWF Zambia. “I can now employ these strategies in real-world scenarios.”

“Globalisation has brought new challenges,” adds Estone Kimaswoch, Conservation Education Officer at Lake Nakuru Environmental Education Centre in Kenya. “The diverse responsibilities of wetland managers today not only call for solutions to biological and ecological problems, but also for an understanding of local communities’ concerns and management issues, legal knowledge, commercial skills and expertise in communication – all of which the course provided.”

During 2024, we’ll develop a new website and a virtual learning environment. Such flexible learning tools will allow us to host important resources and launch an online community and forum for wetland conservationists around the world to share knowledge with peers.

Be inspired by Words for Wetlands Next time you visit our sites, you won’t be lost for words – you’ll be inspired by them, and their power to boost our understanding of wetlands and their wildlife. Our new Words for Wetlands programme – launched on World Book Day on 7 March – introduces activities for children, adults and families, encouraging engagement with words in written, spoken and visual forms.

Until Sunday 2 June, younger visitors to WWT centres will be able to join Bing’s Nature Explorers, discovering wetlands through stories alongside the popular TV character. Fun seasonal activities will follow throughout the year. Nature writing, printmaking and poetry workshops are among the sessions scheduled for adults. Find out more on page 39.

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spring news

ONE TO WATCH

shelduck

Words: Paul Bloomfield, Derek Niemann. Images: Alamy, Daphne Kerhoas, Getty

Halfway between a duck and a goose, this handsome hole-nesting bird is legendary for looking after the young in large extended families.

Shelducks are easy to spot in the open – the bold white, chestnut and black on this goose-sized waterbird make it stand out in a crowd. But in early spring, female shelducks seek cover, finding rabbit holes or other burrows in which they lay their eggs.

Count the ducklings on the water under the stewardship of a pair of shelducks this spring and you might start to wonder – are there 20, 50, 100? How is it possible for one bird to lay so many eggs? The answer is a trick that doesn’t even fool ‘the parents’.

Nest dumping is common in shelducks, but the surrogate mother doesn’t appear to mind other females laying their eggs in her nest. Nor do the nesting pair object to others offloading their offspring on them as they head towards water. May and June are a great time to spot the fluffy grey and white ducklings. Cute, yes, but would you want to adopt 100 of them?

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our WETLANDS, your WELLBEING If you’re feeling low, taking time out in blue spaces can give you a lift, say participants in our pioneering Blue Prescribing programme.

Our new digital wetland mapping tool will launch soon. This pioneering project, which has been developed by WWT’s Evidence Team, uses cutting-edge GIS mapping to identify where wetlands would most benefit people, nature and the fight against climate change. It is the first UK-wide map of ‘wetland potential’, and provides vital evidence to support our call to restore 100,000 hectares of wetlands across the nation. The mapping will help switch the public on to the superpowered potential of wetlands.

World Wetlands Day: WWT report This World Wetlands Day, 2 February, we invited everyone to duck the stress of modern life and spend some time soaking up the serenity of their local blue spaces. We know the power wetlands have to reduce stress, and sharing their superpowers matched this year’s theme: ‘Wetlands and human wellbeing’.

Any paying visitor or WWT member could bring a friend for free from 2-4 February. More than 2,000 people took advantage of this offer, and our social content, including a special message from wildlife presenter Megan McCubbin, received huge support.

Evidence suggests that spending time in green and blue (i.e. watery) spaces improves mental wellbeing. So, in 2021 we partnered with the Mental Health Foundation to deliver a nature-based programme of activities at WWT London. The aim was to improve participants’ mental health and wellbeing, help build self-confidence, develop social connections and learn to self-manage mental health through access to blue spaces.

The programme, developed to support people with mild to moderate poor mental health, built on pilot projects delivered by WWT at our Slimbridge and Steart Marshes sites. Sixty people took part in six-week courses comprising sessions at WWT London, conducted inside and outside in nature. Statistical evaluation of their responses showed that, overall, the group experienced positive changes in their mental wellbeing, while also enjoying notable increases

“Our work shows that there’s a clear place for this approach.

in their sense of worth and happiness, and satisfaction in life. Nature-based activities proved effective at helping participants to connect to people, and they also reported feeling better as a result of having experiences in common and sharing stories, socialising more with others, and improved awareness of nature and its benefits. “Our work to date shows that there’s a clear place for this approach,” says Dr Jonathan Reeves, WWT’s Principal Research Officer for Health and Wellbeing. “It provides multiple mental, physical and social benefits, and participants say they want more of these types of programmes.”

We’re working with the University of Exeter to develop further trials testing the effectiveness of nature prescribing at WWT Steart, and are exploring how to deliver and support such programmes.

Images: Getty, Sam Stafford/WWT

Mapping the scale of opportunity

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spring news WWT Steart Marshes.

Centre updates Brent geese census success WWT Castle Espie reports an increase in numbers of light-bellied Brent geese (above) following the annual census last October. The team took part in the count, organised by the Irish Brent Goose Research Group, and recorded 26,757 individuals on Strangford Lough – an increase on 2022’s total of 22,332. In autumn, approximately 90% of the world’s light-bellied Brent geese population migrates from breeding grounds in Arctic Canada to feed on Strangford Lough’s eelgrass.

Cob roundhouse takes shape The new cob roundhouse being built at WWT Steart Marshes is well underway. The project’s build team comprises staff, WWT volunteers and members of the local community.

The roundhouse will provide a quiet, covered space for enjoying views over the pond and reedbed, and a serene spot for connecting with nature. It will host visitor activities and will be bookable for groups.

Bioscan Project banks DNA Steart Marshes is one of 100 sites in the UK taking part in the Bioscan Project, set up to study the genetic diversity of a million flying insects across the UK over five years. Insects are collected monthly and sent to the Sangar Institute to analyse their DNA. The resulting sequence data will provide a baseline of insect species diversity and a resource for DNAbased biomonitoring in the UK.

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helping cambodia’s WETLANDS to thrive A major new WWT report reveals that the wetlands of Cambodia’s Lower Mekong Delta are being degraded at an alarming rate – but also what we can do to understand and reverse these losses.

The Mekong River provides fresh water, livelihoods and food for more than 60 million people.

In Cambodia’s share of the delta southeast of the capital Phnom Penh, seasonal flooding deposits nutrients, creating fertile land where rice has been cultivated for perhaps 2,000 years. These lush habitats also provide fish nurseries and rich foraging grounds for birds, including the rare sarus crane.

“65% of the area’s natural

wetlands have been lost.

As the annual flood cycle is affected by upstream dams and climate change, and intensive agriculture becomes more prevalent, these wetlands are shrinking. This impacts people and wildlife who rely on this habitat: sarus crane numbers in Cambodia have fallen by 70% since 2014.

To better understand these problems, WWT researched and published a report, ‘The Status of Wetland Habitats in the Cambodia Lower Mekong Delta’. Satellite mapping shows that 65% of the area’s natural wetlands have been lost over the past 30 years

– that’s some 1,600 square kilometres in total.

That’s the bad news. But the report also highlights how we might nurture this threatened landscape, the rich biodiversity that lives here and the livelihoods of local communities. This will involve calling for better protection of the natural habitat that remains, undertaking more research to understand what’s driving the loss, and encouraging sustainable agricultural practices.

With your support, we’re already working at sites such as Boeung Prek Lapouv, the most biodiverse

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spring news

Reedbeds play an important role in natural flood management.

using Nature to prevent flooding on the thames

Images: Getty, Daphne Kerhoas, Corrie Grafton/WWT

Sarus crane numbers are declining at an alarming rate.

area in the Lower Mekong Delta, building a 3,500 metre-long dyke to retain water and planting 19,000 seedlings to revive 13 hectares of forest. We’re working with nearly 300 farmers to support a switch to more sustainable cultivation, including growing red jasmine rice, which is higher in value and needs fewer pesticides than other types of rice. The results of our efforts are clear: better lives for farmers and fishermen means more habitat for cranes and other wildlife.

Next issue, we’ll share a photodiary of WWT’s work in Cambodia by our team on the ground.

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We’re helping to future-proof the Thames catchment against flooding by delivering the skills needed to implement natural flood-management (NFM) schemes.

Flooding is a growing problem in the UK; linked to climate change, it’s exacerbated by the large-scale loss of wetlands.

Four million people are at risk in the Thames catchment alone.

Natural flood management is a whole toolbox of interventions that, when used together, increase resilience to flooding.

It can involve planting trees and other vegetation, creating and restoring wetlands, installing leaky barriers within river channels, storing water in floodplains, and creating urban wetlands such as ponds.

To demonstrate the benefits, we’ve produced a route map for NFM – explaining where,

how and why this approach should be implemented, and what and who should be involved. We’re supporting councils and other organisations involved in accessing funding for NFM. We’ve delivered a conference to more than 80 people working in flood-risk management in the region, covering research, delivery and funding opportunities.

Our knowledge and expertise have been shared at learning events to support those involved, helping build capacity for delivering NFM. We’re also engaging with landowners and local communities to encourage buy-in – after all, NFM projects reduce flood risk, improve water quality, boost biodiversity, help capture and store carbon, and enhance wellbeing. wwt.org.uk/flood-protection

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We’re scaling up our work to protect wetlands in Madagascar, thanks to around £1 million funding for crucial research and knowledge sharing.

Madagascar, Africa’s biggest island, is larger than mainland France and one of the planet’s most biodiverse wetland hotspots.

It’s also a focus of one of WWT’s big ambitions: to protect and restore one million hectares of wetland habitat globally by 2050.

The alarming rate of wetland loss here threatens rare species, such as the critically endangered Madagascar pochard (whose future we’ve been working to secure since 2009) and the livelihoods of people who rely on rivers and lakes for drinking water, fish and irrigation for crops.

WWT has taken a leading role in preparing Madagascar’s first National Wetland Strategy, which will help to develop more sustainable management of the island’s wetlands. And new funding will supercharge our work at Lakes Sofia and Tseny over the next three years.

A grant of more than £300,000 from the JRS Biodiversity

Foundation will support the creation of a groundbreaking Wetland Knowledge Base. This will combine existing data with satellite imagery to give wetland managers the insights they need to monitor and manage important wetlands to improve biodiversity.

A second project, funded by the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate, will identify the factors driving wetland degradation and support communities to develop nature-based solutions that will future-proof their livelihoods, as well as these precious habitats and their rich wildlife. We hope these projects will provide a model that can be rolled out across other wetlands in peril.

Lake Tseny, Madagascar.

Membership fees update

Thanks to player support

We value your membership, and your support makes a real difference to protecting wetlands and the wildlife we all treasure. Sadly, the economic climate has impacted on the running costs of our centres and our project work.

We have therefore had to increase the price of WWT membership from 1 April 2024 and you will receive the new price when your renewal is due. We hope you understand our need for additional support and that we can count on your generosity now and in the years ahead.

For full details, visit wwt.org.uk/price

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have now raised over £5.9 million in support of our work! WWT received an incredible £1.1 million of flexible funding thanks to players in 2023, awarded by Postcode Planet Trust. Funds raised by players are vital to all aspects of our work, enabling us to deliver conservation projects, restore wetlands and protect wildlife globally. Player funding is absolutely essential in supporting the day-to-day efforts of WWT staff and volunteers, connecting visitors of all ages with nature and inspiring them to take action.

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Image: Harison Andriambelo/WWT

leading the way to restore wetlands In MADAGASCAR

spring news

YOUR VIEWS

We love to hear your thoughts about wetlands, WWT and Waterlife, and to see your photos, so please write to the address on page 4 or email them to waterlife@wwt.org.uk

Top shots!

Winner!

Caerlaverock creatures

This photo of a barn owl was taken at WWT Welney. The owl was hunting in the afternoon sun over Lady Fen. I love taking images of all types of wildlife. With owls in particular, hours of waiting can be followed by a frantic five to 10 minutes. Fortunately, at Welney there is always something else to see while waiting.

Paul Grace

Image: Harison Andriambelo/WWT

When in Scotland, we love spending time at WWT Caerlaverock. While there recently, we realised that it is sometimes easy to forget the little things at sites, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching small birds, such as this young goldfinch, on the feeders and in the hedgerows while visiting the hides. There was a surprise capture, too, with the visit of a water shrew or two.

Royston Neilson

Runner up I snapped this sleepy wigeon drake basking in the wintry sunshine at WWT Slimbridge.

Joanna Hutchinson

Win! Win! Win!

Lucky ducks These two mallards are enjoying the September sun and view at WWT Slimbridge. I like the colour patterns and the way in which they look like little diamonds.

Tom Lewington WWT says: The male in front is ‘emerging’ from his annual moult, with old feathers being replaced by shiny new ones. This is called ‘eclipse’ plummage. He still has a bit to go!

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Paul wins a copy of Where to Watch Birds in Britain by Simon Harrap and Nigel Redman (RRP £25).

It’s also available to buy at some WWT centre gift shops and online at wwt.org.uk/shop. Funds from every purchase help protect wetland nature.

Please send your best shots of nature and wildlife at our centres to Waterlife and they could be published in a future issue. Just email your high-res images and a short story about what you photographed to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. Show us what you can do! wwt.org.uk 11

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We take clean water for granted – but what’s the cost to our environment, our wildlife and ourselves when it’s polluted? WWT believes harnessing the power of nature to clean our water could help restore degraded waterways and make life healthier for us all.

Words by Mike Unwin

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CLEAN WATER

Y

ou’ve no doubt seen the pictures: dead fish, discarded plastic, murky water choked with toxic green algae. The magnificent River Wye was once one of England’s great beauty spots and home to abundant wildlife. Now, the salmon are disappearing and swimmers are staying away. In May 2023, Natural England downgraded its status to ‘unfavourable-declining’.

Sadly, the Wye is no exception.

Only 14% of UK rivers now achieve ‘good ecological status’. The build-up of pollutants, including heavy metals, chemicals, sewage and sediment, has had a devastating impact. Wildlife is in decline: an excess of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus causes algae growth and reduces oxygen levels, damaging aquatic ecosystems.

Human health also suffers. Water containing untreated sewage makes people sick. Chemical pollutants are linked to health issues, including cancer, infertility and anti-microbial resistance.

Our mental wellbeing also suffers as we can no longer enjoy clean waterways that were once an inspiration and source of joy.

soils by heavy machinery, which speeds the run-off of pollutants and fills rivers with sediment. Another 36% comes from sewage and wastewater, with our outdated infrastructure unable to handle the increasing volume (in 2021, sewage was discharged into English rivers 375,000 times). An additional 18% comes from other industrial sources such as landfills, mining and our road network.

We need to clean up our water.

The good news is that wetlands do this job naturally. They filter out pollutants without any need for harmful chemicals. Wetlands also provide us with fresh water, food and livelihoods; protect us from flooding and coastal erosion, and help combat climate change by storing carbon. Plus, they provide habitats for thousands of species, from dragonflies and newts to otters and kingfishers.

Rivers on red alert Water pollution has many sources.

Around 40% of it comes from agriculture, via fertilisers, pesticides and the compacting and eroding of

Images: Getty

“In 2021, sewage was Excess nutrients cause algae to take over stretches of water.

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discharged into English rivers 375,000 times.

Polluted water impacts on human health.

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Treatment wetlands: how they work

While they vary in style, treatment wetlands like this example harness the natural capacity of wetlands to clean and filter water.

They are engineered systems, designed to optimise the function of wetland microbes within a controlled environment. The flow of water is managed so it spreads evenly among wetland plants and their roots, and makes them more efficient at removing pollutants than natural wetlands.

1 Wastewater enters Wastewater is channelled into the treatment wetland through a pipe, or enters as run-off from urban, industrial and agricultural areas. It may contain pollutants, from personal-care products and pharmaceutical compounds to textile-industry waste and chemicals from coal, oil and gas.

2 The deep water is great for breeding amphibians.

The bad news, however, is that over the past 300 years the UK has lost more than 75% of its natural wetlands and most of those that remain are already heavily degraded.

“We can’t always afford to use natural wetlands as a way of improving water quality as many are in such bad condition already, we don’t want to risk making them worse,” confirms Dan Roberts, WWT’s Project Manager for Nature-Based Solutions.

Natural solutions This is where treatment wetlands come in. These are wetlands engineered to remove pollutants from wastewater by optimising the biological, physical and chemical processes that occur in

2 Settlement pond Silt and other suspended solids settle at the bottom, removing larger, heavier pollutants. The pond is edged with wetland plants for biodiversity, but less vegetation allows UV radiation to break down pathogens.

£120 million Contamination of drinking water by pesticides alone has been estimated to cost the UK £120 million a year.*

natural habitats. They offer a naturebased alternative to traditional water-treatment systems, which utilise finite and expensive chemicals and prodigious amounts of energy.

Treatment wetlands are built to

capture polluted water and clean it up naturally before it enters rivers or other waterways. “It’s all about intercepting the flow of water before it can damage our natural environment,” says Roberts.

A treatment wetland comprises several stages. First, the polluted water enters a settlement pond, where it slows down, allowing suspended solids to settle. It then continues through a marsh, where micro-organisms, including fungi, bacteria and protozoa, break down the pollutants into non-toxic substances – a process called bioremediation.

The flow is carefully controlled, and the site is managed as a natural habitat for wildlife with graded edges, fringing

*Source: Agricultural Systems

1

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CLEAN WATER

3 Parallel marshes The wetland is split into two shallow cells to help maintain a constant water flow. The water is filtered down and evenly distributed to make sure wetland plants trap any solids, while micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa break down pollutants into non-toxic substances.

**Source: Invasive Non-Native Species, Parliament UK

ality Poor water qu lance of ba e th ts se up biodiversity life, reducing invasive in w and allo g over. ke ta to s ie spec over It costs the UK ar.** ye a £1.8 billion

Cleaned water.

3

4 4 Pool, marsh and swale These marshes are full of life, including dragonflies, amphibians, wading birds and warblers.

Image: Jim Johnston/WWT

Nutrient neutrality Every living thing needs nutrients in order to survive. However, an excess of nutrients can damage the environment. Nutrients such as phosphates and nitrogen released into rivers and wetlands from agriculture, water treatment and housing cause excessive algae growth. This depletes oxygen levels and blocks sunlight, disrupting aquatic ecosystems.

New legislation called ‘nutrient neutrality’ now aims to ensure that new housing developments in protected areas

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Next, the water enters purifying cells. Water from the two marshes flows into a pool where it is mixed to add oxygen. The water then flows through more marsh and along a swale (a shallow, vegetated channel) into a series of drainage ditches before entering the water course.

do not add more nutrients in the water catchment. Existing nutrients can be offset by reducing them elsewhere in the same catchment – for example, by creating new wetlands.

Nitrogen credits are traded to facilitate this process.

WWT is a specialist advisor to Natural England on nutrient neutrality. Some nature-positive mitigation schemes are already bearing fruit as a result. WWT’s Dan Roberts would like to see it go further than housing. “We need to extend it to other polluting sectors,” he says. “This would ensure all polluters are treated equally.”

New wetlands can help offset existing nutrients caused by housing developments.

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The Living Planet index reveals there has been an 83% decline globally in freshwater species such as mayflies since 1970.

vegetation and reedbeds: a far cry from concretesided treatment plants.

Treatment wetlands are often a cost-effective solution that can be built anywhere appropriate, allowing for space, topography, substrate and the pollutant being treated. They work equally well in urban and agricultural settings, and are best when designed in consultation with the community. And they’re not only about cleaning water.

“Treatment wetlands also benefit biodiversity and recreation,” says WWT Senior Project Manager Tom Hayek.

Treatment wetlands enrich wildlife, both in the wetland itself and downstream, and enhance communities by improving degraded landscapes, promoting wellbeing and creating green jobs.

Taking action

Treatment wetlands aren’t the only solution to our water quality crisis.

“Nature-based solutions are powerful,” says Hayek, “but they can’t do it all.”

We need greater intervention at government level to reduce the volume of pollutants entering the environment, especially in run-off from urban and agricultural areas. While the behaviour of water companies has contributed to the state of our waterways, we should be wary of only pointing the finger in that direction. “There is a failure of regulation operating too,” he says.

“The water companies are operating within a broken regulatory system.”

We can all do our bit. “By taking more care over what we put down the drain, we can help treatment wetlands work more effectively,” says Hayek.

“Buying sustainably sourced local food from places that support good farming practices can ensure a high standard of environmental protection.”

The time is now ripe for change. “Water quality has soared in the public agenda,” says Hayek. WWT is calling on government to boost our ‘blue recovery’ by both restoring our degraded natural wetlands and creating more treatment wetlands.

This will help us meet stated UK targets of improving water quality, increasing biodiversity and cutting carbon emissions, none of which are currently on track. Wider society will also benefit in terms of tackling inequalities: water pollution affects deprived communities disproportionately, studies show.

Challenges lie ahead, not least in our engineering sector. “We can’t achieve our ambitions without the injection of new green skills,” says Roberts. But with the right know-how and commitment, treatment wetlands can help us clean up our act and put nature first. “WWT wants to see them as the norm, rather than the exception,” says Hayek. “You should have to justify why you’re not using a nature-based solution, rather than why you are.”

The great crested newt needs clean water to thrive.

The UK and Ireland already have some excellent treatment wetlands, from Avon Meadows near Worcester to Dunhill farms catchment in Ireland.

WWT uses treatment wetlands to help process wastewater on some of our reserves. But there’s potential for more. “In some parts of the world, wetland solutions are integrated into all communities,” says Hayek, citing widespread usage in France and describing the “absolutely colossal” systems in the USA. “If we could create treatment wetlands at scale, it would make a huge difference to the health of our rivers, streams and natural water bodies – and ourselves.”

“WWT wants to see

treatment wetlands as the norm, not the exception.

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CLEAN WATER

Treatment wetlands at work As well as helping clean up our natural environment, treatment wetlands offer multiple benefits across all sectors of society, from business and agriculture to local communities – as these case studies show.

Cutting business costs

Improving landscapes Dunhill Village in County Waterford, Ireland, shows how treatment wetlands can transform agricultural landscapes. Water quality has significantly improved in just eight years, with phosphorus levels down by 95% and ammonium nitrogen by 98%. This is a great example of mitigating agricultural pollution at scale while focusing on the landscape.

At Clifton Integrated Constructed Wetland near Doncaster, Yorkshire Water has created a facility that costs 35% less than building a standard treatment works. Operational costs are 40% lower. Emissions from the whole lifecycle of the system have been halved. Lower investment costs for the water company means lower costs for the customer.

Images: Getty, Jack Perks/WWT, Getty, Wessex Water, BarhaleEnpure JV, Stantec UK & Yorkshire Water, VESI Environmental

Removing excess nutrients At Cromhall Sewage Works in South Gloucestershire, WWT worked with Wessex Water to demonstrate how treatment wetlands can remove phosphorus from wastewater using natural bioremediation. After just 18 months, phosphorus levels had fallen by 27.5%.

Other nutrient levels had fallen even lower.

Community benefits Avon Meadows Community Wetland has transformed the environment in Pershore, Worcestershire. As well as cleaning the water entering the river Avon, it has restored natural habitats and enriched biodiversity.

Local residents help plan and maintain the site, and now enjoy a thriving green space on their doorstep.

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SAND

MARTINs

They cause the heart to quicken as they flit over wetlands on chilly mornings. After their long journey from Africa, we’re proud to offer this sociable species a welcome home.

Words by Dominic Couzens

IT’S NOT ALWAYS THE VAUNTED superstar who wins the race. For all their glamour, swallows aren’t the real heralds of spring. Every year, it’s sand martins that beat their relatives to these shores, usually in the second week of March.

Sand martins are perfect WWT birds, drawn mainly to wetlands, where they make nests in banks of sand and other loose material, hence the name. This is often a riverbank, but any pile of sand or gravel will be sufficient. Such sites are always at a premium, so sand martins pack into colonies.

In April, males dig a deep tunnel, perpendicular to the ground, using their feet, bill and wings. They slash at the sand with their bill, making the most of their specially strengthened neck muscles, and scratch with their feet. Once the burrow has begun to take shape, they remove dirt by kicking with their feet and fluttering their wings. After the tunnel is made, they sing at the entrance and fly around to advertise their abode to passing females.

Show homes Birds, like humans, are basically lazy creatures, and sand martins have taken to populating a new form of colony: the artificial sand martin bank, with pre-made tunnels. The banks have been in place at WWT London for more than 20 years, and the 98 nest chambers there have an almost complete occupancy rate.

Narrow band of brown across the white chest

Long wings with sharp tips

There is also a bank at WWT Arundel, and at both sites these are very close to hides where visitors can enjoy an intimate view of the comings and goings of the birds.

This year, a brand-new bank constructed at WWT Washington is anticipating its first users. Reserve Manager John Gowland is excited to welcome new arrivals: “We’ve had sand martins breeding nearby in recent seasons, but now we have 105 nest chambers ready for them,” he says.

“Our Wader Lake silts up, so we’ve used what we’ve dredged from it to make the bank. Our volunteers and staff helped with the breeze-blocks that are the foundation of the structure, and the project felt like a genuine combined effort. It’s part of our overall wetland creation policy.”

Until recently, these delightful long-distance migrants had been declining in the UK. Happily, WWT can play a big part in ensuring their future.

Upper body is brown, including the rump (the house martin has a white rump)

Tail is slightly forked, which helps with manoeuvrability

1

Adapted for flight

Sand martins are related to swallows and house martins, known collectively as the hirundines. They have the same flitting flight, streamlined, slim bodies and long, narrow wings, but they are small, measuring only around 12cm long.

SENEGAL

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SPECIES FOCUS

5 The need for speed

Different individuals travel at vastly different rates north.

The March arrivals are invariably experienced birds that may have been on the road for less than a month. One-yearold birds may not arrive until May.

UK

4 Life on the wing

Sand martins feed as they go, snatching flying insects that happen to be in their path.

They travel by day and presumably use Saharan oases to rest and feed. Further north, in Spain or France, they may stop almost anywhere to feed up.

Time for a closer look Visitors can see breeding sand martins in our artificial sand banks at WWT Arundel, London and Washington, and also feeding over the water at other WWT centres.

Scan the QR code to watch our video on hirundines.

3 Across the Sahara

The northward journey starts with a crossing of the Sahara Desert, on a broad front, usually starting around the beginning of March. This can be hazardous and takes about a week. Birds cross the Mediterranean Sea near Gibraltar.

2 Wintering site

Images: Getty, Shutterstock

Most sand martins leave Britain in October and head for Senegal in West Africa, in the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert.

During the winter, some go further south and cross the Equator.

Many fatten up around Lake Chad before flying northwards.

LAKE CHAD

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Top: A sand martin calls.

Bottom: Chicks cosy up in the nesting tunnel.

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OUR

WETLANDS, YOUR talent Every year, our annual photography competition provides a fresh view of the wonderful wildlife that calls our reserves home. With talent, patience and fieldcraft, our finalists reveal the beauty that is all around but not always noticed.

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PHOTOgraphy COMPETITION

Words by Sophie Stafford

Winner!

Sky dancer Photo by Sukhdev Singh, at WWT Welney Sukhdev says: I was in the hide just to the right of the observatory, looking over the main lagoon, when I realised there was a swallow nest in the corner. Every five minutes or so, the parent birds would fly out through the window and return with their beaks stuffed full of insects for their five chicks.

It was a wonderful photo opportunity; the challenge was freezing the birds in flight and getting a sharp image.

The jury says: Sukhdev has made this technically challenging image look easy.

Birds in flight are always tricky, and swallows are small, swift and fly erratically. In his image, the subject is pin-sharp, its wings are held in an ideal position, and the light highlights the finest details of its steely blue head and tawny breast feathers. The crispness of the swallow is isolated perfectly against an exquisite wash of wetland colour. We salute you, Sukhdev.

On the cover Photo by Ian Howarth, at WWT Welney Ian says: When I visited Welney last June, I spotted a Norfolk hawker dragonfly. It took a lot of attempts to get a sharp image.

The jury says: Ian’s head-on perspective, the sense of movement created by the vibrating wings and the gorgeous detail on the head and thorax made this shot a favourite. See all shortlisted entries at wwt.org.uk/waterlifephoto

Please note: photographs featured here may have been cropped.

To see entries in all their glory, visit wwt.org.uk/waterlifephoto.

eyes on the prize This year, as always, your entries to our annual photo competition showcased exceptional technical skills, creativity and passion. With your endless patience and lightning-fast shutter fingers, you revealed rare moments, shy wildlife and extraordinary behaviour.

Congratulations to all our finalists, both in print and online – and in particular to our overall winner, Sukhdev Singh, who wins a pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars, and our young winner, eight-year-old Jamie Smart. She gets a pair of Viking Otter 8x32 binoculars.

Our heartfelt thanks to Swarovski Optik and Viking Optical for their enduring support for our competition, and to everyone who entered.

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PHOTOgraphy COMPETITION

Runner up!

Formation flying Photo by Ruth Spencer, at WWT Slimbridge Ruth says: As a regular visitor, I know avocets often gather in huge numbers on the lakes at Slimbridge in April, so my goal was to photograph a flock taking flight. But I hadn’t expected that, a few seconds after take-off, the birds would wheel around in formation, wings outstretched, forming this beautiful abstract pattern in the sky.

The jury says: Thanks to her knowledge of the species and the location, Ruth was able to create this artistic vision of nature.

Her simple but dramatic image showcases the exquisite beauty of the avocets’ plumage and demonstrates why we should all take a step back to see the bigger picture sometimes.

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Landing stage Photo by Charles Frodsham, at WWT Martin Mere Charles says: As soon as I noticed this beautiful buzzard gliding into the reedbed, I started tracking it with my camera. As it prepared to land and floated down towards a post, I kept my finger pressed firmly on the shutter button, trusting a fast speed to freeze the action.

The jury says: An extraordinary image!

Buzzards are versatile hunters, capable of plucking chicks from the reedbeds, but to see one of these raptors landing amid the bulrush is magical. Its long-fingered wings, fanned tail and outstretched feet command attention.

Action stations

Young winner!

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Photo by Jamie Smart, at WWT Llanelli Jamie (8) says: It was an unusually warm day and there were a lot of large dragonflies buzzing around. They’re amazing in flight – like tiny helicopters.

I wanted to capture a photo of one hunting, but they don’t stay still for long! I tried over and over again,

using different settings, and then finally got a shot I’m pleased with.

The jury says: An ambitious shot and Jamie has risen to the challenge.

It takes tenacity and skill to photograph dragonflies in flight: Jamie has both in spades. This southern hawker’s four wings have good separation; you can even see the hairs on its legs. Bravo!

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Toad pile Photo by Dave Sutton, at WWT Martin Mere Dave says: I encountered this female common toad on her way to the spawning ponds in front of the Harrier Hide, carrying not one, but two amorous males. As the huge females make their way to the water, the smaller males hitch a lift. As I took this shot, one of the males was trying to drag the other one off.

The jury says: Male toads will do anything to get into prime position to fertilise the females’ eggs once she reaches the water. Dave has captured this amphibian action brilliantly. We love the female’s resolute march across the moss while the males grapple on top of her, and their orange eyes.

Nature’s opera Photo by Neville Carter, at WWT London Neville says: Looking out from the Peacock Tower towards the grazing marsh at Barnes, I noticed this sedge warbler singing at the top of its voice. It seemed to be enjoying the May weather, continually bouncing around this bush.

I was happy to get shots of this joyful little bird.

The jury says: Neville has captured his small and active subject beautifully. Framed against the uncluttered backdrop, its bright orange gape attracts attention while the arch of the branch leads the eye through the frame.

The best of the rest

See more of our favourite shots fro m this year’s contest at wwt.org.uk/ waterlifephoto

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PHOTOgraphy COMPETITION

Bee-dazzled Photo by Glenn Alder, at WWT Arundel Glenn says: Noticing a splash of colour in the undergrowth by the path, I found several bee orchids. To separate this bloom from the background, and get the whole flowerhead sharp, I used a technique called focus stacking.

You need constant light and no movement in both the subject and the camera. It takes effort to set up – 81 photos made the final image!

The jury says: The effort was worth it! Glenn’s image reveals the intricate beauty and texture of this bee orchid with breathtaking clarity and great depth of field, thanks to his mastery of the stacking technique. We loved seeing an orchid among this year’s entries, and hope others will be inspired to photograph this flora, too.

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PHOTOgraphy COMPETITION

Tender loving care Photo by Richard Allan, at WWT Arundel Richard says: Black-necked grebes are a favourite subject of mine and I wanted to capture the tenderness with which parents raise their chicks. The adult birds are constantly diving, but the chicks stay in a small area, waiting for their parents to bring food. I watched for the perfect moment when a cute chick had just been given a water louse by a beautiful adult.

The jury says: With admirable dedication, species insight and ability to anticipate the action, Richard has captured this special behaviour. The adult’s fiery gaze contrasts with the chick’s softness: there’s a beautiful intimacy and sense of trust to this image.

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Eye see you!

Photo by Sam Ellis, at WWT Arundel Sam says: The fencepost jumping spider is fast moving and aware of humans, so it’s hard to photograph. I used a macro lens and a technique known as focus stacking, and kept the camera steady by resting it on the fence. The spider was curious and looked up at me, giving me the chance to grab a few shots before she ran back into a crack in the fence.

The jury says: Thanks to Sam’s vision, technique and experience with photographing tiny subjects, we can all now appreciate the beautiful eyes and sensitive hairs that make this miniscule (barely a centimetre long) spider such a formidable hunter. It’s thrilling to see.

Feeling inspired?

Next year’s competition will open to entries in the next issue.

Wagtail vogue Photo by Malcolm Taylor, at WWT Slimbridge Malcolm says: I was watching this grey wagtail feeding from the Rushy Hide when it took a bath. I waited and then it began to preen its feathers.

Waiting a little longer to see if your subject will do something more interesting or unusual can pay off.

The jury says: A beautiful bird striking a perfect pose! Malcolm’s proved that, with patience and understanding, you can capture extraordinary behaviour when you least expect it. Holding one elegant tail feather in its beak, this wagtail is making a stunning shape.

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native pond

BLOOKLIME

plantS

Veronica beccabunga In summer, this evergreen edging plant has spikes of gentian-blue flowers with white centrestreaks. It grows in shallow streams but thrives in boggy soil at the water’s edge.

Its creeping stems and fleshy leaves provide egg-laying sites for dragonflies, and it’s perfect for pollinators.

Small or large, healthy wetlands rely on native pond plants, which provide shelter for wildlife and keep the water oxygenated and clean. Get to know these blooming marvels to help you create your own mini-wetland.

Words by Dominic Couzens

WHITE WATERLILY

LESSER SPEARWORT

This marginal plant bears pretty, yellow buttercups from May to August. Perfect for the pond edge, its sprawling nature provides cover for wildlife in and around the water, while its blooms attract pollinating insects. Also good in bog gardens.

A good FROGBIT choice for a small Hydrocharis pond, the leaves of morsus-ranae this free-floating plant look like tiny waterlily leaves that have been ‘bit’ on one side by frogs. In summer, a succession of white flowers appears.

During winter, the buds lie dormant in the bottom mud.

BOGBEAN Menyanthes trifoliata

Named with faint praise, this pretty native has spikes of pink-tipped, white flowers with lacy fringes and threelobed leaves. It forms mats that are good for dragonflies, but ideally needs space to spread.

At up to 20cm wide, this floating bloom is our largest native flower.

Its leaves can reach the size of dinner plates. Growing in water up to 1.5m deep, it provides shelter for frogs and early nectar for insects.

RIGID HORNWORT Ceratophyllum demersum

Looking like a delicate conifer and growing totally submerged, this oxygenating native is free floating and rootless, and stems can reach 3m long, making a mass of vegetation.

Leaves grow in whorls, with minute flowers.

Images not to scale. Illustrations by Denys Ovenden courtesy of Collins Pocket Guide Freshwater Life: Britain and Northern Europe

Ranunculus flammula

Nymphaea alba

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identification guide

SPIKED WATER-MILFOIL

The ‘yellow flag’ is a vigorous native water iris, tolerant of wet habitats and found growing at the edges of large, sunny ponds. It forms clumps of sword-like leaves with rich golden flowers loved by bees. It cleans water by removing metals through its roots.

Myriophyllum spicatum

Above the water, this plant may offer an unimpressive spike with bud-like, pink flowers, but below the surface it has extraordinary feathery leaves that shelter myriad wildlife. Each oxygenating stem has neat whorls of leaves, cut into leaflets.

It helps control algae.

YELLOW IRIS Iris pseudacorus

WATER VIOLET Scan here for our guide to native pond plants

WATER MINT Mentha aquatica

A multisensory gift with its aromatic leaves and a profusion of globular, lilac flowers from July to October, this herb looks great by the water and attracts butterflies as well as other insects.

It spreads vigorously.

WATER SOLDIER

Stratiotes aloides The rare water soldier shelters aquatic insects in ponds and still, open water.

In spring, gas-filled, spiny leaves grow underwater and pop up at the surface, looking like the top of a pineapple. In summer, it produces white flowers.

WATER FORGET-ME-NOT Myosotis scorpioides

Hottonia palustris

Like a primrose growing up out of the water, with just the flowering spike showing, water violet bears white or lilac blooms with mustard centres. The evergreen submerged leaves are rosettes of soft, feathery fronds.

This is the aquatic version of the familiar sky-blue flower with yellow centres.

Grow at the pond edge to encourage wildlife. Bees and hoverflies visit the flowers, newts use the leaves to enfold their eggs, and tadpoles find shelter.

COMMON WATERCROWFOOT Ranunculus aquatilis

This beautiful oxygenator grows long strands of feathery fronds under the water, with a profusion of dainty white flowers above from May to June. It loves slow-moving streams, but also grows well in still water.

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These beautiful illustrations by Denys Ovenden are taken from the Collins Pocket Guide to Freshwater Life: Britain and Northern Europe published

by Collins (RRP £20). Available to buy at some of our on-site shops and at wwt.org.uk/shop.

Funds from every purchase help protect wetland nature. wwt.org.uk 29

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17

family

fun ACTIVITIES

This spring, go on a wild adventure at your local WWT centre. These 17 activities will help kids use all their senses to have fun and discover nature.

Words by Derek Niemann

1

Take to the water Get a duck’s eye view of all our amazing wildlife by paddling a canoe through our wetlands at WWT Llanelli, Martin Mere, Slimbridge and Arundel.

Martin Mere and Arundel also offer boat tours – they’re wheelchair accessible, too.

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Great games

2

Go pond dipping

There’s a world of wildlife beneath the water’s surface, and our pond-dipping zones are the perfect places to discover it! So, grab a net and go on a wet safari in search of fantastic beasts – whirligig beetles, fierce young dragonflies, water scorpions, sticklebacks and many more. Just ask your local centre how you can take part.

3

See the world like a blue tit

4

Colour by nature

5

Listen to bird song

Answers: Mallard: B, Snipe: C. Coot: A. Images: Ben Langdon Photography/WWT, Paul Samuels/WWT, Nick Stacey/WWT, Martin McGill/WWT, Getty

It’s International Dawn Chorus Day on the first Sunday in May, so listen out for birds in full voice around our wetlands. How many different bird songs can you hear?

6

Otterly brilliant!

Get your camera ready to take adorable photos up close when you join our North American and Asian small-clawed otters for feeding time at WWT London, Slimbridge, Washington and Martin Mere.

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8

Get crafty with leaves

WWT Martin Mere is home to the world’s largest bug hotel, but all our centres are alive with fascinating minibeasts. So, come and hunt for them with us or wherever you love to explore, and try to capture an awesome bug picture. Send it to us at waterlife@wwt.org.uk

Let your imagination run wild and create fun pictures and prints with leaves. Or try your hand at hapa zome, the Japanese art of leaf-dyeing, at WWT Washington this May half term.

These agile birds can hang upside down to find food. Can you turn yourself upside down on the grass or in one of our adventure playgrounds (seven of our centres have them) to see the world differently?

How many of these colours can you find in our wetlands? Perhaps you’ll spot flowers with bright yellow petals or a duck with a blue wing flash?

7

Take a bug picture

Mallard

snipe

coot

B

C

Game 1 A

9

Track that Look for bird footprints in the soft mud beside our lakes and ponds. Some have webbed feet and others pointy toes. Why might birds have different-shaped feet?

And can you match these birds to their footprint?

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Gather up fallen twigs and branches and make stick pictures of the birds and other animals living in the wetland you visit. Why not make stick people too? Psst – don’t forget to leave the sticks when you’ve finished.

11

13

mallard

Nature exploring... it’s a Bing thing!

shelduck

Join TV’s Bing and his friends to learn all about wetland nature and wildlife through stories, trails and shows at most of our centres this spring. Find out more on page 39.

Tufted duck

12

© 2024 Acamar Films Ltd.

Let’s go go go go go!

Smell a flower

Follow your nose around your local WWT centre to find a flower that smells divine.

Now give it a big, long sniff.

How does it smell? Does it make your nose feel tickly? Have you ever wondered why flowers are scented? Well, a flower’s fragrance helps it to attract insects such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Sweetsmelling flowers rely on luring these insects to pollinate them.

B

A

Whose baby?

These ducklings have got themselves in a muddle. Can you work out which youngster belongs to which adult duck?

C

Answers: Mallard:C, Shelduck:A, Tufted duck:B. Images: Richard Taylor-Jones/WWT, Steve Nicholls/WWT, Richard Allen/WWT, Keith Humphrey/WWT, Barry Batchelor/WWT, Getty

10

Get crafty with sticks

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Great games

15

Touchy-feely fun

Ask your friend or a grown-up to collect three natural objects, such as a pebble, feather or a shell, and put them all in a bag without you seeing what they are. Now put your hand into the bag (no peeking!) and guess – from touch alone – what the objects are.

14

Celebrate wetland words

Follow our reedbed boardwalk deep into the reeds, stop and close your eyes. Now say as many words as possible that hiss like wind in the reeds (such as snake, spider, sausage).

See more details of our Words for Wetlands activities on page 39.

16

Have lunch with the pelicans

Pop into Pelican Cove at WWT Arundel to watch our Dalmatian pelicans, Rogue and Storm, being fed lunch. Can you spot the features that make it easy for them to catch their fishy food?

Plan your next great day out in nature!

There’s so much more to discover at your local WWT centre this spring, we’d be quackers if we thought we could fit it all in here.

See our Get Closer section on page 38 to discover more activities for all, or go online to plan your visit at wwt.org.uk/visit

17

Who is wearing flamingo?

The flamingos at some of our centres are seriously pink.

Is anyone around you wearing or carrying anything pink?

If not, can you find something nearby that matches these stunning birds?

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A gift in your will is a gift for nature

A

BRIGHTER VIEW

Nature

© Darren Cool Images

FOR

Thanks to Gifts in Wills from generous supporters like you, we’re able to secure a wildlife-rich future, filled with the sights and sounds of wetlands.

To speak to our friendly team, simply email giftsinwills@wwt.org.uk or phone 01453 891150

wwt.org.uk/legacy © WWT 2024. Registered charity no. 1030884 England and Wales, SC039410 Scotland

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interview were small. I also spent a lot of time kayaking on the canal nearby and appreciated the peace of the water and the power of the estuary.

My previous role was Area Director for the West Midlands at the Environment Agency. In my new role at WWT I’m most excited about the benefits of collaborations. That means everyone being prepared to shift their positions to work together, finding common ground to meet our objectives.

Too many times I’ve stood on the banks of the Severn in drought or flood. We need to stop talking about climate change coming – it’s already here. It’s devastating for the environment and for people. Wetlands offer us so many opportunities to address this. Instead of managing the consequences, I’ll be trying to mitigate the impacts and build resilience into environments.

My life by the water Meet our Director of Wetland Conservation, Clare Dinnis. She joins WWT after 26 years at the Environment Agency and a lifetime afloat.

BORN IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS, I’m a real water person. I swim all year round and I’m forever in it, on it, or near it. It’s where I’m happiest. I think the sea has left the deepest impression on me – its power and its changeability.

Just before starting at WWT, I was back home in Guernsey.

One day, I swam in a tidal pool because the sea was too wild.

The next, it was like a millpond.

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My real inspiration was my dad.

He took such joy in landscapes, and trees were his big thing. When he was near an amazing individual tree, the peace and the awe that he exuded really helped me to see the importance of nature.

I think I was brought over the sea to Arundel when I was little, but my first proper experience of a WWT reserve was when I took my children to Slimbridge when they

Every day, I want to get out in nature and do good things in it.

Being out in nature for me is so calming, so grounding. We need to help people to live with the environment, so that they feel happy in nature rather than seeing it as a threat.

If I had to describe myself, I’d say I’m determined, energetic, curious, kind and collaborative. But ask my teenagers and you might get a different list!

People ask me about the need for more laws to protect the water environment, but laws aren’t the answer to everything. You can put laws in place, but from long experience I know that people will always find ways around them.

I think the emphasis should be on helping people understand the importance of water. Then we would actually need fewer laws, because people would want to make sure their actions protected the environment. wwt.org.uk 35

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BE A

Water

Warrior Everything needs water to survive. Being aware of how much water we use – and waste – around our homes and gardens can help keep more of this precious resource in rivers and other wetlands, and save us money. Here are some easy, practical ways you can make a real difference.

Words by Jo Price

In your home Install clever devices

Wash dishes wisely

Enhance your water efficiency at minimal cost by fitting aerators to your taps. These introduce air into your water supply, maintaining pressure while reducing overall consumption. You could also add a cistern displacement device to your toilet, which many UK water companies will provide for free or at a discounted price.

Washing dirty dishes by hand uses more than 100 litres of water, compared with only 13 litres of water used during one cycle in the dishwasher. Opting to use a dishwasher is an easy win if you have the choice. If you are washing dishes by hand, fill a bowl and start rinsing the cleanest items first so you don’t have to change the water too often.

Take shorter showers Save water by showering instead of taking a bath. A timer by your shower can help you hit the recommended four minutes (it’s over before you know it!), and swapping to a lowflow shower head will reduce water use even further. If you can’t resist a hot bath, running the water to a depth about 2.5cm shallower than usual can save around five litres.

“Consider creating a mini

drainpipe wetland to absorb excess rainwater and provide a vital habitat for wildlife.

13L A dripping tap wastes 13 litres of water a day on average.

Use only what you need For a refreshing drink, you can avoid running the tap until the water gets chilled (which wastes more than 10 litres a day) by filling a jug with cold water and popping it in the fridge. If a hot beverage is more your cup of tea (or coffee), fill the kettle with only the required amount of water – the same goes for pans when boiling water for food.

Repair leaky loos Fix any leaks to save water and money. While a dripping tap can waste an average of 13 litres per day, a leaky loo is one of the most common causes of high water use in the home, wasting up to 400 litres in the same period of time.

400L 400 litres of water can be wasted each day by a leaking toilet.

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smart living

In your garden Harvest rainwater Collect rainwater from your downpipe in containers such as butts, barrels, sinks or baths so that you always have water to use around your garden. Water-butt kits, including a diverter pipe, prevent overflowing and make collecting water easy. You could even create a mini drainpipe wetland to absorb excess rainwater and provide a vital habitat for wildlife. Find out how here: wwt.org.uk/ gardening-for-wetlands

1,000L A sprinkler uses up to 1,000 litres of water an hour.

Leave your lawn alone Putting away the sprinkler saves up to 1,000 litres of water every hour. Allow your lawn to go brown when it’s hot – it will build up resistance and recover after it rains. As hotter and drier summers are becoming more common in the UK, letting the grass grow taller will help retain moisture in the soil, keeping it green for longer.

Enjoy free fertiliser Keep leftover water from cooking or rinsing vegetables and use it to feed your plants or irrigate the garden. Old bath or shower water, containing well-diluted mild shampoos and soaps, can also be repurposed to water garden plants (avoiding any edible crops).

Know when to water To minimise evaporation, water your garden early in the morning or in the evening with a watering can or hose (fitting a trigger nozzle will halve the amount of water used). Putting mulch and bark on flowerbeds and vegetable patches can help reduce evaporation by up to 75%. Providing your borders with shade from larger plants and trees helps, too.

Choose drought-resistant plants There are many drought-resistant plants that are also beneficial to wildlife – look for species with silver or grey-green foliage such as lavender. If you plant in pots, place them in shaded areas to minimise evaporation or under hanging baskets to catch drips, and be mindful that materials such as glazed terracotta will retain water for longer than metal.

£0 Leftover water from cooking or rinsing vegetables can be used as free fertiliser.

75% Using mulch and bark can help reduce evaporation by 75%.

create your Mini-wetland Fran Penny, Head of Interpretation and Programming at WWT, lives in a modern housing estate in Cirencester with her husband, Joe. She has created a mini-wetland in their enclosed garden and saves as much water as possible.

“I attached a water butt to one of the downpipes on our house to collect rainwater. This provides me with enough water for the garden and to top up the pond when needed,” explains Fran. “One side of our garden can get very dry as it has poor-quality, shallow soil, so I’ve made sure the plants here don’t need watering too regularly and can tolerate drought, such as verbena.”

Planting has also provided a solution to Fran’s small, struggling lawn. “It doesn’t grow well in places because it’s too shady, so I’ve seeded some areas with a shady wildflower mix and left it alone, meaning it needs less water and attention.”

Recently, she added a bog garden fed by the bucket pond (a 40-litre plastic trug, below). “Though tiny, the pond has increased the wildlife in our garden,” notes Fran. “In the future, I’m going to repurpose more old and broken containers and turn them into tiny wetlands!”

To watch our how-to video, scan here

Images: Getty

Easy ways to save water Discover more easy ways to save water in your home and garden: wwt.org.uk/wetland-friendly-living MARCH-JUNE 2024

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Get closeR to

nature

DAWN CHORUS WALKs Join us for special early-morning guided walks at our London, Llanelli and Welney centres to celebrate spring’s glorious dawn chorus. Trust us, it will be well worth the early start on a Sunday! We’ll help you tell your warblers from your wagtails as we navigate the variety of birdsong that creates an immersive wetland soundscape. It’s a dramatic time of year – look and listen as our feathered friends, such as the reed warbler (pictured), proclaim their hard-fought territories, serenade potential mates and display some impressive courtship behaviour, while newly arrived migrants jostle for prime nesting sites. Booking is essential.

See site websites for further details.

Find event information online at wwt.org. uk/visit

WHERE: London, 21 April; Llanelli and Welney, 5 May

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© 2024 Acamar Films Ltd.

Get closer

Bing’s Nature Explorers Little explorers can discover wetland nature and wildlife in the company of TV’s Bing and his friends. Follow the activity trail to discover fun-filled challenges and amazing wildlife facts, and enjoy a Bing story with an interactive storytelling session. It’s the perfect way for explorers of any age to discover the sights, sounds and sensations of wetlands. During the Easter holidays, you can even meet Bing and Flop in person and snap a photo of your time together at daily meet and greet sessions.

WHERE: Activities and dates vary between centres – please check your local centre for details or visit wwt.org.uk/bing

There’s something for everyone

Words: Barney Jeffries. Images: Alamy, Harley Todd/WWT, Stefan Hunt/WWT

Step out and shape up Put a spring in your step with our special health walks, created with Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership. Our volunteer walk leaders will take you around the marshes – a fun way to get fit, meet new friends and connect with nature.

Register at sasp.co.uk/sedgemoor WHERE: Steart, meet in the main car park, Mondays 2pm, Thursdays 10am

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Get involved with Words for Wetlands Learn how to turn your literary ideas into sparkling copy at nature-writing workshops for adults with awardwinning author Stephen Moss (above). Let nature inspire you and it just might be the first step to seeing your own work stocked in bookshops.

WHERE: London, 22-23 May; Slimbridge, 26 June After the launch of our 2024 Words for Wetlands programme on World Book Day on 7 March, our centres have been going wild for words.

The year of creative activities has something for all ages, from songs and spells to poems and postcards.

Look out for storytelling for families and nature journalling workshops for adults.

WHERE: All centres, until December

Duckery delights Come and meet the newest arrivals at our duckery – feathery flocks of fluffy ducklings and goslings!

We hand-rear many rare and endangered species of waterbirds indoors to keep them safe, before they venture into our outdoor duckery at three weeks old.

Visitor warning: may contain dangerous levels of cuteness.

WHERE: Castle Espie from May; Llanelli, daily 25 May-2 June

We had such a wonderful day at WWT Arundel and all of us loved it. There was so much to see, and the children loved pond dipping and the arts and crafts.

By Sammie A

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Goose gathering This Easter weekend, join us at WWT Caerlaverock as we say farewell to our overwintering geese. On our dusk flight walks, you can witness the stunning spectacle of barnacle geese gathering on the mudflats in their thousands as they prepare to make their 2,000-mile migration to Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic.

WHERE: Caerlaverock, 29-31 March

Slimbridge safari Experience WWT Slimbridge’s wetlands like never before on a wild safari ride this summer. Explore the wild side of the reserve in a 4x4 as you splash through ditches and trundle along the sea wall. It offers a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and explore parts of the reserve you wouldn’t normally get to see, learn more about the Severn estuary and its nature, and get up close and personal to some amazing wildlife, from grass snakes to cranes.

WHERE: Slimbridge, from May to September (daily in July and August).

Book your slot on arrival. Please note, safaris are weather dependent.

Moth mania The UK boasts more than 2,500 species of moth – and many are found in our wetlands. Visit WWT Martin Mere and WWT Welney by day to discover the vast variety we attract during our overnight surveys – before we set them free. Our guides will introduce you to moths of all shapes, sizes and colours collected in our traps – from miniscule micromoths smaller than 3mm to majestic hawkmoths with a wingspan of up to 12cm. We’ll also advise you on how to attract these essential night-time pollinators to your own garden.

WHERE: Welney, Tuesdays, 1 April to 31 October; 10:30am daily at Martin Mere, 1 May to 31 August; Washington, various Saturdays, June to October

Walks and talks on the wild side Wine and walk

Fascinating storks

Indulge your senses on a wetland walk complete with fine wines paired to suit the natural attractions. Wine expert hosts Valerie and John will guide you through five wines as you stroll picturesque trails. Chin chin!

WHERE: London, 15 May

Why do storks make that clattering noise with their bills? How do they build their huge nests? Let our new stork guide answer these questions and more at the white stork enclosure. WHERE: Martin Mere, Thursdays, 2-4pm

Wetlands and woodlands Join our expert team to find out how we create and manage our wetlands and woodlands to attract a wide variety of UK wildlife.

WHERE: Washington, various weekends

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Get closer

Nature

For full event listings at each centre go to wwt.org. uk/visit

to love...

Visit one of our 10 WWT sites to see stunning wetland wildlife spectacles and deepen your connection with nature. These are just some of our favourites.

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Images: Getty, Arundel/Alec Pelling, Slimbridge/Jonathan Bull, Washington/Ian Henderson, London/Michael Colquhoun

Words by Sophie Stafford

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1. Return of the terns

5. Magical moths

CASTLE ESPIE

Our wetlands are home to hundreds of species of moths.

Discover the biggest – hawkmoths – and the smallest found in our traps.

Look to the skies to see common and sandwich terns showing off their aerobatics as they dive to catch fish.

WELNEY

2. Nest boxes for tree sparrows

6. Crane comeback

CAERLAVEROCK

SLIMBRIDGE

In spring, our hedgerows are abustle with tree sparrows. We’re boosting this declining species by putting up 20 more nest boxes.

Common cranes begin their graceful displays in spring. Slimbridge is one of the best places in the UK to see wild cranes, feeding in front of the hides.

3. Adorable chicks

7. Spot the bittern!

WASHINGTON

LONDON

Avocets return to Wader Lake in spring.

Watch them nest on shingle islands, then look out for their cute chicks.

This is the only place in the capital where the rare bittern is seen regularly, wading among our reedbeds.

4. Lapwing families

8. Nesting kingfishers

LLANELLI

ARUNDEL

Listen for lapwings’ ‘pee-wit’ calls as they perform their aerial courtship.

Then look for their sweet bundles of fluff wobbling by the water’s edge.

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A pair of kingfishers nests in the artificial nest bank on Arun Riverlife lagoon.

View them from the Discovery Hide and the Water’s Edge Café.

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9. Marsh magic MARTIN MERE

Marsh harriers raise their chicks in the reedbeds across the site. Look out for the adults hunting over the reserve to feed their broods.

10. Guided walks STEART

Our guided walks include the history of the site, dusk/night walks, birdwatching, and 4x4 tours. wwt.org.uk 41

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column

“Every fluffy nestling is possessed of a ruthless drive to thrive” Dr Amy-Jane Beer marvels at the rip-roaring resilience of spring’s new arrivals.

Dr Amy-Jane Beer is a biologist, writer, editor, outdoor enthusiast and mum from North Yorkshire.

I’VE BEEN WRITING SEASONAL NATURE columns for a long time, and if you’ll forgive a well-worn metaphor, there are a few old chestnuts. I’m always asked for bats in autumn, and in spring, there are expectations about hares being the original Easter bunnies, lapwing eggs being the precursors to the chocolate variety and how the two became muddled because both hares and plovers once abounded in the same fields.

The hares became fluffier, less mad and less wild. The plover eggs became saccharine, and the chicks tamer, shedding their cryptic colouration for glowing daffodil yellow.

I suppose we have the Victorians to thank for the mawkishness that has neutered and defanged our spring celebrations,

but if we lift our gaze to nature, the vibe is distinctly more virile… bawdy, even.

We’ve forgotten that a bird’s egg, or more specifically the life within it, is a tenacious, ferocious thing. A dinosaur, no less, intent not so much on surviving as thriving. Cute perhaps, vulnerable often, but to focus on either is to miss the point that every fluffy nestling, every tadpole and newt eft, every otter cub and beaver kit, every voracious aquatic nymph and spreading weed is biologically magnificent, not only equipped with potential for competence in its world, but also possessed of a rip-roaring, ruthless drive.

What these wild lives need most from us are spaces to be what they are. That sometimes these spaces have to be fortresses of fences and surveillance is an admission of how badly we’ve messed up. The fact is, nature’s tangle and squelch should suffice. One of the joys of seeing my local estate start rewilding an area of boggy and unproductive farmland is realising how wet and (I use this word advisedly as a campaigner for access) how inaccessible it is soon to become.

In recent years, crops have struggled here because this land wants to be wetland.

I imagine that, in a year or two, it’ll be almost impossible to walk around. Nature is brilliant at creating no-go zones for people and dogs – places of saturation and vegetal vigour, which will become havens for some, places of opportunity for others – embodying exactly the qualities celebrated by Gerald Manley Hopkins in perhaps his best-known lines of nature poetry: O let them be left, wildness and wet; Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

They were not left, of course. They were drained and tidied and simplified and tilled and built on. But they can return. There is space, among all that we do, for wildness and wet. And in those spaces, vulnerability becomes resilience; mawkish becomes hawkish; cute becomes lusty and spring once again becomes gloriously, uproariously wild.

Immerse yourself in wetlands If, like Amy, you love to immerse yourself in wetland nature, try our podcast, Waterlands.

Scan the QR code or visit: wwt.org.uk/waterlands

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adorable

aren’t i?

Support your favourite wetland animal and receive a brilliant welcome pack plus two updates a year – perfect for a gift or as a treat for yourself!

From £3 a month!

Choose from a duck, goose, flamingo or otter at

wwt.org.uk/adopt © WWT 2024. Registered charity no. 1030884 England and Wales, SC039410 Scotland

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A room with a view Bewick’s Lodge

SCOT T HOUSE Bewick’s Lodge

at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre

Wake up to wildlife in the luxurious Scott House Bewick’s Lodge - Slimbridge’s self-catered accommodation.

Exclusive wildlife experiences available

Enjoy access to Sir Peter Scott’s personal viewing tower and spectacular views across the Rushy Lake.

Book now bewickslodge.co.uk WWT Slimbridge, Bowditch, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, GL2 7BT © WWT 2024. Registered charity no. 1030884 England and Wales, SC039410 Scotland

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