National Trust
The National Trust was established in 1895 for the 'permanent preservation for the benefit of the nation of lands and tenements . . . of beauty or scientific interest and as regards lands for the preservation . . . of their natural aspect features and animal and plant life' and was consequently the first organisation in Britain with a statutory requirement to conserve wildlife and geological features in the countryside. The Trust currently protects an estate of more than 272,000 hectares of land, of which 28% are designated sites. Under Trust protection are 475 SSSIs in England and Wales and 12 ASSIs in Northern Ireland, 32 National Nature Reserves, two Marine Nature Reserves and more than 60 nature reserves of local importance. A fifth of the UK's Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance) include Trust land.
In recent years, the Trust has become increasingly aware that conservation interests cannot be sustained in the face of degradation of the wider natural and human environment. The Trust is committed to influencing the management of the whole environment, by developing best practice on its own sites and through advocacy of 'green' solutions to politicians, practitioners and the public. Examples of its environmental principles in practice exist at many properties, including geothermal heating, hyrdopower, reed bed sewage systems and peat-free gardening.
Active involvement in the Trust's conservation work is possible through volunteering, either locally or on a working holiday (see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteering or telephone the Community & Volunteering Officer for Wales on 01492 860123).
For further information about nature conservation and environmental practices in the Trust, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/environment
National Wetlands Centre, Wales
The National Wetlands Centre, Wales (NWCW) is situated in Llanelli, on the north shore of the Burry Inlet, which is acknowledged as the premier estuary for wildfowl and waders in Wales. The area is designated as a Ramsar Site, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is a candidate Special Area for Conservation (SAC).
NWCW is one of nine visitor centres run by The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) which is the largest international charity in the UK dedicated to wetland conservation. WWT's mission is to conserve wetlands and their biodiversity.
WWT centres provide almost a million visitors a year with spectacular wild wetlands and collections of globally threatened wildfowl and amazing days out that bring wildlife and people together. Our centres are unique educational resources that guide people from environmental awareness to action.
WWT sites are living examples of conservation in action and manage approximately 2000 hectares of wetland bird reserves including 6 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's) 5 Special Protection Areas (SPA's) and 5 Ramsar Sites. Our Threatened Species, Habitats and People Programmes help to secure the future of the world's most endangered wetlands and wildfowl through habitat management, support and creation; captive breeding and public education programmes.
WWT's internationally acclaimed research programme provides the knowledge and information needed for conservation action, and consult on wetland projects worldwide from tropical Asia to the high Arctic.