Wetlands are essential – almost all life on our planet depends on them for water, food or habitat. They are incredibly biodiverse, with 40% of known species living and breeding in wetlands. They lock away carbon in the ground, helping us combat climate change. And they are nature’s defence against flooding, pollution and drought.
Wetlands have historically been undervalued in favour of industrial and agricultural development. They’re being destroyed at a concerning rate, disappearing three times faster than forests. We’ve lost over a third of the world’s wetlands since 1970.
WWT was founded in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott to protect this overlooked habitat. We are now the UK’s leading wetland conservation charity. We restore, create and protect wetlands for people and wildlife, from our ten wetland sites around the UK to the wetlands of Asia and Africa.
We believe that showing people first-hand how amazing wetlands are can ignite their passion to help us conserve them. So we also provide amazing experiences at our unique wetland centres for one million visitors every year, and help others to manage their wetlands worldwide. Working together, we can achieve our vision for a world where healthy wetlands thrive and enrich lives.