Durham Wildlife Trust

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Durham Wildlife Trust

Protecting wildlife and promoting nature conservation from the river Tees up to the river Tyne. See our website to find your nearest reserve.

Durham Wildlife Trust manages more than 900 hectares of land, a variety of species and habitat recovery projects and two visitor centres. We also run an environmental education programme which engages schools and community groups in issues around nature conservation and the wider environment. For details on what to do if you witness a wildlife crime, visit www.durhamwt.com/faqs

03/09/2026

Our staff, volunteers and partners took to the beach this morning for a ‘Big Team Beach Clean! The Durham Heritage Coastline is stunning. But it needs the support of all visitors to keep it that way. We spent a couple of hours clearing litter from Crimdon beach. In total we collected 35 bags along with a number of nurdles. That’s a lot of litter no longer heading into the sea. A lot of marine life protected from the damage that plastic waste and discarded items can do. 🚮♻️💙
📅 We run regular beach cleans along the coast, find out more👉 durhamwt.com/events

02/09/2026

The painted lady is a beautiful orange-and-black butterfly that regularly visits gardens over the summer. 🦋
🪴 Plant lots of nectar‑rich flowers to give butterflies a tasty place to feed!

31/08/2026

Treat your little ones to family membership today to receive your free gift 🐝🐞🪲

This bug-friendly bundle includes a bag of 18 wildflower seeds and either a ‘Creepy Crawlies’ or ‘In the Garden’ book filled with incredible invertebrate facts!

Offer ends at midnight on the 31st of August.

Join today 👉 https://www.durhamwt.com/incredible-invertebrates

30/08/2026

Dive into coastal adventures! 🌊🦀🦭🐦
We're running a series of seaside events from this September, aimed at young people aged 10 to 18. We'll explore the shoreline together, learning how to protect and celebrate our beautiful North East coast. 🩵
🎫 Booking is essential: www.durhamwt.com/events

29/08/2026

Our amazing Great North Runners are lacing up their trainers and pushing themselves to the limit for nature.
From restoring wildflower meadows to protecting threatened species, your support helps make conservation happen where it matters most.
🌱 Every donation, large or small, helps.
👉 Please support our team: https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2026.enthuse.com/durhamwildlifetrust/profile

28/08/2026

Our nature reserves, visitor centres and the coffee shops at Rainton Meadows and Low Barns are open all bank holiday weekend. 😊

🚧 Please note: parking barriers close at 4.30pm.

26/08/2026

The common tern chicks on the raft at Rainton Meadows are tern-ing into grown‑ups quickly! Pass by Pond 2 during your visit for a chance to see them.

📷 Brian Howes

https://www.durhamwt.com/news/common-tern-chicks-raft

25/08/2026

Our Seasons of Connection sessions offer fun ways to connect with local nature, and August's session saw the group head to Whitburn for a rockpooling adventure, discovering fascinating marine life along the shore. 🐚🦀🌊
Next month will see the final Seasons of Connection session at Rainton Meadows. See our event page for more details and to secure your place → https://tinyurl.com/3d392dy2

24/08/2026

New stock alert! 🚨

Gry & Sif, a wonderful universe of felt creations, has landed in our Rainton Meadows gift shop and online. Gry & Sif's beautiful felt products are designed in Denmark and handcrafted in Nepal by skilled artisans using natural sheep's wool. They have also been Fair Trade since 2009!

Explore the full range online here 👉https://www.durhamwt.com/shop #!/Gry-&-Sif-Collection/c/20493553

23/08/2026

The hummingbird hawk-moth: a summer visitor to the UK, can be seen in gardens, hovering like a hummingbird as it feeds on nectar. Have you spotted one this year?
🎥 Christiana Cleasby 📷 Paul Cleasby

Address

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve
Houghton Le Spring
DH46PU

Website

http://www.durhamwt.com/

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