Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is the conservation charity that looks after wildlife and wild places across both counties, and within Rutland it is the organisation behind one of the best known nature reserves in the East Midlands. The trust manages the Rutland Water Nature Reserve, the famous reedbed and lagoon complex at the western end of the reservoir, and it runs the visitor facilities at Egleton and Lyndon that draw birdwatchers and families throughout the year. For anyone interested in the natural side of Rutland, this is the authoritative starting point.

The charity has been working for seventy years and is one of the network of forty six Wildlife Trusts covering the United Kingdom. It is a registered charity, number 210531, funded largely by members, donations and grants. Across Leicestershire and Rutland it owns or manages a spread of nature reserves, runs practical conservation work, campaigns on local environmental issues and delivers education and community programmes. The Rutland operation is the largest and most visited part of what it does, but the home page makes clear that the trust's remit covers the whole of both counties.

Rutland Water Nature Reserve is the headline attraction. Created when the reservoir was built in the 1970s, the reserve covers a large area of lagoons, islands and woodland that has become one of the most important wetland sites in the country for wildfowl and wading birds. The trust's website explains the two main visitor centres. The Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre at Egleton, near Oakham, gives access to the largest cluster of hides and is the practical base for serious birdwatchers. The Lyndon Visitor Centre, on the southern shore, is the focus for the osprey project and tends to suit families and casual visitors. Both have parking, and admission to the reserve is charged, with discounts for trust members.

The osprey reintroduction project is what put Rutland Water on the map for many people. Starting in the 1990s, the trust and its partners brought ospreys back to breed in central England for the first time in well over a century, and the birds now return each spring from West Africa to nest. The website carries updates through the breeding season, information on the live nest cameras and details of the guided events that let visitors watch the birds. For school groups and first time birdwatchers, the osprey story is an accessible way in, and the Lyndon centre is geared around it. The reserve also hosts large numbers of ducks, geese, swans and waders, with notable winter gatherings that birdwatchers travel a long way to see.

Beyond the reserve, the site sets out the trust's wider conservation work. There are pages on the other reserves it manages, on habitat restoration, on surveying and monitoring wildlife, and on campaigns around issues such as planning, water quality and nature recovery networks. The trust runs a programme of guided walks, talks, family activities and volunteer work parties, all listed in an events section that is updated regularly. Volunteering is a significant theme, with opportunities ranging from practical habitat management to helping in the visitor centres and assisting with wildlife surveys, which suits retired people and students looking for hands on experience.

The reserve network across the two counties is larger than many people realise. The trust looks after dozens of sites, from ancient woodland and flower rich grassland to wetlands and former quarries that have been returned to nature, and the website carries a searchable list with directions, parking notes and what each place is known for. Several of these reserves are free to visit and open at all times, which gives directory users plenty of options beyond Rutland Water itself. The trust also takes part in landscape scale projects that join up habitats across farmland and river valleys, work that is harder to see than a day at the reservoir but matters just as much for the long term recovery of wildlife in the region. The year 2026 marks fifty years since Rutland Water was created, and the trust is using that anniversary to look back at how an artificial reservoir became a site of international importance for birds. The website ties the celebration to its appeals and events, and it is a reminder of how far the place has come. Practical extras at the reserve include a cafe and a shop at the centres, regular photography and bird identification courses, and a busy calendar of guided walks led by knowledgeable staff and volunteers. For visitors who want more than a self guided wander, these led sessions are a good way to get the most out of a trip, and they are bookable through the site.

Membership is central to how the charity operates, and joining can be done online. Members get free entry to the Rutland Water reserve and to other paying reserves in the Wildlife Trusts network, a magazine and the satisfaction of funding local conservation directly. The website explains the different membership tiers, including family options, and there are separate routes for one off donations, legacies and corporate support. For local businesses, the trust offers partnership and sponsorship arrangements, which is one way Rutland companies connect their name to the county's best loved natural asset.

The education offer is well developed. The trust provides school visits, curriculum linked sessions and forest school style activities at Rutland Water, and it runs holiday clubs and family events during school breaks. Teachers can book outdoor learning sessions that use the reserve as a classroom, and there is material aimed at younger children around pond dipping, minibeasts and bird identification. This educational role is part of why the organisation sits comfortably in a regional business directory as a community institution rather than a purely commercial entry.

Practical visitor information is easy to find. The site lists opening times for the reserve and centres, which vary between summer and winter, along with admission prices, parking and accessibility details. It flags that some hides involve a fair amount of walking, and that the Egleton and Lyndon sites are separate locations with their own entrances, which is a useful thing to know before setting off. Dogs are restricted across much of the reserve to protect ground nesting birds, a sensible policy that the trust states plainly. The cafe, shop and toilet facilities at the centres are described, and there is guidance on the best times of year for different species.

A couple of honest caveats are worth raising. The trust's registered office and main postal address is in Leicester, at The Old Mill on Soar Lane, and the general enquiry line on 0116 262 9968 reaches that office rather than the reserve. Visitors planning a trip to Rutland Water should use the dedicated reserve contact details and check seasonal opening before travelling, because hide access and centre hours change through the year. Admission charges apply to non members, and on busy weekends in spring and autumn the Egleton car park can fill up, so an early start is sensible during peak birdwatching periods.

The website itself is clear and well maintained, with strong photography and a sensible structure that separates the visitor information from the conservation and membership content. It loads quickly and works on mobile, which matters for people checking opening times on the way to the reserve. Information is kept current, particularly the osprey updates and the events calendar, and the charity is transparent about its finances and governance in line with charity regulation.

For a Rutland focused business directory, Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is an essential listing. It is the custodian of Rutland Water Nature Reserve, the county's single biggest visitor draw for wildlife, and it gives directory users a trusted, non commercial source for nature, days out, volunteering and conservation across the county. Whether someone is planning a family afternoon at the reservoir, hoping to see the ospreys, looking for somewhere to volunteer or wanting to support local conservation, the trust's homepage is the right place to begin.

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