Where: Tottenham, London
Twitter: @E17Wetlands @WeLoveE17Marsh
Instagram: @walthamstowwetlands
Facebook: @walthamstowWetlands
#WalthamstowWetlands
Nominated by: Liz Gill
What makes it great: The extraordinary appeal of Walthamstow Wetlands is not just what it is, a 211-hectare nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest, but where it is, just 15 minutes from the centre of London and alongside some of its most deprived areas. Until this £10.5m project opened in October 2017 its ten reservoirs and surroundings were open only to licensed anglers and ornithologists. Today it is open to all at no cost. There have been half a million visitors so far and 11,000 schoolchildren taking part in its educational programmes with 120 volunteers helping out with everything from guided tours to conservation, from running the gift shop to assisting in workshops. One more amazing aspect is that the Wetlands still provides drinking water for a third of the capital, as it has done for 150 years.
See more of the noteworthy and exciting ITA Finalists 2019!
