London Wetland Centre is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Sunday 25 May, marking almost three decades of conservation, education and unforgettable wildlife experiences.
The centre will be inviting visitors to join the festivities and enjoy a weekend of activities, including guided tours to learn more about its history, heritage and impact, otter talks and birdwatching across six hides. Plus, its spring adventure trail will be open.
Alexia Hollinshead, General Manager at London Wetland Centre, commented: “For decades, our centre has been a place of wonder and discovery for visitors of all ages, and a safe space for wildlife that rely on wetland habitats – including many rare and endangered species.
“We often hear stories from people who first came here as children, and it’s incredible to think that since opening, we’ve welcomed almost four million visitors and over 350,000 school children through our doors.
“That means millions of people have memories of visiting us. We want to celebrate these memories and create new ones, while continuing to raise awareness of the importance of wetland habitats in the UK.”
London Wetland Centre was officially opened on 25 May 2000 by Sir David Attenborough, who described the reserve as “an extra lung for Londoners”.
As well as welcoming millions of visitors through its doors since then, London Wetland Centre has evolved to become a haven for local wildlife and biodiversity, hosting more than 2,000 distinct wildlife species, including more than 160 species of wild birds, along with other animals such as bats, dragonflies, moths, butterflies, water voles and more.
It has also become a regular jaunt for Britain’s loudest bird, the Bittern, which has made a remarkable comeback after being declared extinct in the late 1800s as a result of persecution and habitat loss.
Keep an eye on the ‘What’s on’ page of London Wetland Centre’s website for further information about what’s happening during its anniversary weekend.
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25 facts about London Wetland Centre to celebrate its 25th birthday
London Wetland Centre was opened by the patron saint of nature himself, Sir David Attenborough, who called the reserve “an extra lung for Londoners”.
It’s an entirely human-made wetland, built on four old Victorian reservoirs. In the 1980s, the defunct reservoirs were marked for development but instead, thanks to WWT’s founder Sir Pete Scott, they became a protected space for nature.
The centre spans across 105 acres, or 44 hectares – that’s roughly the size of 70 football fields!
London Wetland Centre supports the London Water Vole Recovery Programme, which aims to create and enhance habitat to aid in the recovery of water voles – the UK’s fastest declining animal.
The reserve is a dragonfly paradise, with more than 19 species of breeding dragonflies on site and 26 species total recorded – from black-tailed skimmers and willow emerald damselflies, to broad-bodied chasers and Norfolk Hawkers.
More than 80% of London Wetland Centre is a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI), thanks to its diversity of wild spaces and species.
Britain’s loudest bird, the Bittern, has been found in the reserve’s reedbeds every winter for the last 20 years.
London Wetland Centre is visited by seven species of bat, including Britain’s smallest bat, the Nathusius’ pipistrelle.
The Enoplognatha caricis, one of the UK’s most elusive spiders, was spotted at London Wetland Centre earlier this year, marking only the fourth time it’s been seen in Great Britain in the last 30 years, and the first time in the nation’s capital.
Since 2020, London Wetland Centre has had 3,981,612 visitors through its doors.
Over 350,000 school children have visited London Wetland Centre for an educational visit.
More than 200 volunteers currently donate their time to help at the centre, supporting family activities, conservation works, education and more.
Every year, it hosts more than 160 species of wild birds.
The centre won the ‘Best Educational Visit’ category at the 2025 London For Groups Awards.
London Wetland Centre’s nature connection project for primary schools, ‘Generation Wild’, won the prestigious Gold award in the education category at the 2023 British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Awards.
There are two Asian small-clawed otters at London Wetland Centre – the smallest of all 13 species of otter worldwide.
London Wetland Centre recently opened a new Splash Pad for families, featuring a water tunnel, multiple spurts and fountains to play in.
The Royal Bank of Canada Rain Garden at the centre was designed by Dr Nigel Dunnett to showcase rain gardening and inspire others to do the same.
There are six hides for watching wildlife and photography at London Wetland Centre. Its largest hide – Peacock Tower – spans across three floors and offers panoramic views across the reserve.
There’s a Sand Martin nest bank at London Wetland Centre, where visitors can enjoy close-up views of Sand Martins flying and nesting in each summer.
One of the centre’s many permanent residents is the Magpie Goose. Neither true goose nor duck, it represents the last surviving member of an ancient family that once roamed across the goal – a true ‘living fossil’.
London Wetland Centre aims to embed sustainability into everything it does. All of the electricity used on site is 100% renewable, and more than half is provided by solar panels.
The ponds in London Wetland Centre’s courtyard are part of a Sustainable Drainage System whereby rainwater collected in guttering is captured and diverted into these ponds, creating mini habitats for a variety of species.
The reclaimed slate path that winds its way to a stunning spiral planting sculpture in London Wetland Centre’s Slate Garden was inspired by the graceful shape of a butterfly’s curled proboscis.
The centre is open seven days a week, 364 days a year for visitors.
