'Animal encounters spark emotion and that inspires action' – a day in the life of a living collections manager at WWT Slimbridge

WWT Slimbridge is home to one of the UK’s most diverse living collections of wetland species. Behind the scenes, a dedicated team works year-round to ensure the welfare of hundreds of animals, many of them rare or endangered.

SoGlos speaks to Simon Matthews, the living collections manager at WWT Slimbridge, to learn what a typical day looks like on the reserve, how the team is adapting to the realities of climate change and why connecting people with wildlife is key to protecting wetlands for future generations.

Take us through a day in your life at WWT Slimbridge!

Working with animals, in an outdoor environment, welcoming visitors and being surrounded by a wetland reserve means that no two days are ever the same — and that’s the way we like it!

As the living collections manager responsible for the welfare of all the animals that live full-time at WWT Slimbridge, their care always comes first.

We usually start the day with a quick team meeting to discuss the plan and any known tasks or developments. Then the team heads out to feed and check on all the animals. You’ve heard the phrase 'never work with animals or children' — this is the point in the day when we see what’s happened overnight. We have to respond depending on what we find. Some days are calm; others are very busy, as we experience the full life cycles of the animals in our care.

Mid-morning, we regroup to share what we’ve found and plan the rest of the day. This might include exhibit maintenance, cleaning, water management, healthcare, staff coordination, visitor talks and interactions, environmental monitoring or animal moves to other zoos and WWT centres. The list is long and varied!

My role is largely office-based — managing the team, planning, overseeing finances, writing and maintaining policies and protocols, ensuring health and safety compliance, and preparing for maintenance or development projects. I also keep us up to date with sector-wide best practices. In the afternoon, the team completes a second round of feeding and checks, then tidies up and closes down for the day.

We work 365 days a year, whatever the weather — and that’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much!

There are growing concerns around climate change and its affect on habitats and biodiversity. Are you seeing any of these challenges manifesting at WWT Slimbridge?

We are definitely noticing changes in the climate and how they’re affecting our animals and how we manage them.

Since we’re outdoors every day — and most of our animals are too — we’re seeing the impact first-hand. Weather extremes like cold snaps and heatwaves are now an annual occurrence and we have to think quickly and adapt their habitats to provide shelter and protection. In more severe cases, we may have to move the animals altogether.

We’re also seeing longer periods of dry weather. Thankfully, wetlands are excellent at coping with drought but even they appreciate the rain when it comes. On the flip side, wetlands are also fantastic at managing heavy rain, slowing water movement and helping to prevent flooding.

A wider trend we’ve noticed is that birds — ours and wild species — are beginning their breeding seasons earlier. For our collection, that simply means more work earlier in the season. But for wild birds, this shift can be problematic. Early breeding may not coincide with peak food availability and a return to poor weather can threaten their success.

How do you balance the needs of conservation with creating an engaging experience for visitors?

These two goals go hand in hand.

Conservation takes many forms and one of the most important roles we and the zoo sector play is in education — raising awareness about the animals we care for and their habitats. For us, that means wetlands.

The animals in our care are essential to helping us make meaningful connections with visitors. These connections inspire people to care and take action to protect animals and wetlands. Without them, our ability to engage visitors and achieve our conservation goals would be far more limited. Visitor support is what allows us to continue our vital work.

We always prioritise animal welfare in how we create these experiences but I think we have exciting opportunities to reach a wide audience and show how everyone can get involved in wetland conservation.

What's something that most visitors might not realise is happening behind the scenes at WWT Slimbridge?

We actually have roughly the same number of animals behind the scenes as we do in the centre and visitor areas.

We operate a large breeding centre that helps us maintain animal populations here at Slimbridge, at other WWT centres and at zoos across Europe. This includes several rare and threatened species that are only found at WWT or for which we hold the largest captive collection.

This gives us a significant advantage for the future — whether it’s using these animals in conservation translocation efforts, learning from them to help protect wild counterparts or using them to educate the public.

Are there any upcoming projects at WWT Slimbridge that we should look out for?

Yes! We’re planning to introduce several new species to our exhibits. This year, our focus is on the Waterscapes Aviary, which highlights native wetland species. We’ll also be introducing new species into the side aviary space, expanding the water body and adding a waterfall feature.

We’re still finalising which species will be included, so I can’t say for sure just yet. But we’re aiming to have the new space open in spring 2026 — keep an eye on our social media channels for updates!

What do you hope visitors will take away from their experience with the living collection at WWT Slimbridge?

Our main goal is to engage and inspire visitors. That was one of the original aims of our founder, Sir Peter Scott.

If people don’t see animals up close and experience the wonder of wetlands, they’re less likely to feel a connection or be motivated to protect them. We’re lucky to witness those lightbulb moments every day — whether it’s a child seeing their first flamingo, someone getting close to our otters, a photographer capturing avocets breeding or even a visitor recognising a real-life axolotl from a video game.

These experiences spark emotion — and that emotion inspires action.

As someone who manages living species in an ever-changing climate, in terms of conservation in Gloucestershire, what's one thing readers can do to help at home?

Be as sustainable as possible. Use less power, reduce car use, switch off plugs. Every bit helps.

But on a local level, the best way to support us and your wetlands is to volunteer. We offer a wide range of opportunities for people from all sorts of backgrounds. Volunteering gives you a hands-on way to give back and it’s hugely rewarding.

By supporting WWT, you’re contributing to our mission of saving and restoring wetlands — ecosystems with incredible superpowers. They store carbon, prevent flooding, clean our water and increase biodiversity, to name just a few benefits.