What WLI did in 2025
WLI's Review of 2025
A summary of WLI staff and volunteers’ activities in 2025
Wetlands COP15
COP15 in some ways dominated 2025, with lots of preparation in the first 6 months, and reflection on the connections made and the resolutions agreed in the second half. WWT was involved in a number of side events, one particularly packed session which included a presentation of the World Wetlands Survey the Star Awards ceremony, and a fascinating presentation on community-led conservation in Madagascar.
Star Wetland Centre awards
Our panel of judges from across WLI assessed the latest Star Wetland Centre award applications to decide on 12 category Star centres, four Star centres, and three Gold Star centres.
These Stars winners were awarded their plaques at Convention on Wetland COP15 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We also celebrated them with a webinar in December.
See the profiles of all Star Wetland Centres from 2025 and 2022, and the award ceremony video.
Small Grants year three
The WLI Small Grants awarded in 2024 were implemented, with training and materials created for teachers and volunteers, drawing and writing competitions, mascots, radio programmes, anti-collision stickers for centre windows, and more.
The donor is happy with the impact of the projects they have supported, and have continued their funding, allowing us to launch another round in 2025. Congratulations to the seven successful projects awarded in this round: Liceo Taller San Miguel, International Crane Foundation, Love a Tree Foundation, Research Center for Elephant Conservation and Forest Biodiversity (PKGB), ABC Tota, RIAS /ALDEIA, and Nyandungu Eco-Park.
WLI BOOTS
In December we launched the informal twinning programme, called WLI Building Opportunity for Online Training and Sharing, or WLI BOOTS. It is free to apply and to take part. Find out more at wli.wwt.org.uk/boots
Member survey
We had 27 responses, from 19 countries, and Tina Redshaw held individual feedback sessions with the respondents who requested them. Read the survey report.
East Atlantic Flyway Youth Forum
We once again co-produced the East Atlantic Flyway Youth Forum, primarily as the East Atlantic Flyway Network MBP, along with Youth Engaged in Wetlands and the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat. Forty-two people took part over the two days, representing 17 countries, with 18 youth attending the bulk of the forum. Thirteen people presented on the first day, at least nine of whom were under the age of 30. On day two Melike Hemmami led the training aspect, and we concluded with a World Café moderated by Joie Didier Sossoukpe.
Wetland Learning Hub
WWT's Wetland Learning Hub concluded its course in West Africa with several participants from WLI members. Keep in touch with developments.
Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Tina Redshaw sat on the Convention on Wetlands’ new CEPA Oversight Panel created after COP15, and co-chaired the CEPA Working Group of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). She invited two WLI members, Nature Classroom’s Hong Jing and SCPW’s Amy Lecciones, to present to the CEPA side event at the EAAFP MOP, where they joined WWF Hong Kong’s Yamme Leung.
Connor Walsh participated in the informal CEPA Advisory Group to the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement, and WLI is named in a Resolution passed at their Meeting of the Parties.
Team assistant
María Elisa Sánchez wrapped up as Team Assistant to complete her PhD and lead the Pacific Americas Flyway Youth Forum, as well as becoming Latin America Representative for the World Wetland Network.
Sana Mezoughi joined in September. Among many other contributions Sana has helped increase the Arabic language content on the WLI website, and assisted in some French translation and editing of videos for the Wetland Learning Hub.
Twelve new members joined WLI in 2025.
Our Facebook page grew to 1,731 followers.
Consultancy
It’s been a busy year for WWT’s Wetland Engagement Advisory Services, which interacts with the WLI core team. Highlights included facilitating the ASEAN Flyway Learning Forum and Workshop in Singapore in May, which was full of brilliant energy and inspiring ideas from participants. In the autumn, we spoke at the Conservation Campaign Plenary at the EAZA Annual Conference in Łódź, sharing insights on wetlands and having some really valuable conversations along the way. During the latter part of the year, we carried out a site visit in France, contributing to early thinking around wetland engagement and delivering workshops.
It’s been a year of varied and rewarding work, and we’re hopeful that 2026 will bring more opportunities to build on this momentum.