Heathrow opens bird watching tower as it enhances commitment to biodiversity and launches Nature Positive Plan

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience

Heathrow has unveiled a new Nature Traffic Control Tower, a birdwatching hideaway right in the heart of one of its 13 local nature conservation sites, as the airport launches its Nature Positive Plan.

Heathrow – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has unveiled a new Nature Traffic Control Tower, a birdwatching hideaway right in the heart of one of its 13 local nature conservation sites. The one-of-a-kind bird hide, designed to resemble the airport’s iconic control tower, is free to visit as part of a bookable tour of the area. It serves as a camouflaged lookout, allowing visitors to watch a huge range of bird species ‘coming in to land’, along with other local wildlife.

The tower has been created to raise awareness of Heathrow’s Nature Positive Plan, detailing how the airport will better understand and, where possible, reduce its environmental impacts. Heathrow’s commitment to building on its ongoing efforts to protect and actively restore local biodiversity and ecosystems forms part of the airport’s wider Connecting People and Planet sustainability strategy, which includes a £250 million investment from the airport into carbon and sustainability improvements for the 2022-2026 period.

“Our work to support nature happens all year round – from introducing cattle to graze habitats in spring, to discovering new-to-science fungi in our woodlands in autumn, and rotational hedgerow management in winter,” said Becky Coffin, Communities and Sustainability Director, Heathrow. “Maintaining and restoring nature is a priority for Heathrow, and we hope this birdwatching experience helps bring our Nature Positive Plan to life and shows travellers that Heathrow is committed to biodiversity, giving them greater confidence in their travel choices.”

Heathrow manages 170 hectares of land across the 13 biodiversity sites surrounding the airport – equating to 10% of Heathrow’s overall footprint. The Nature Traffic Control Tower has popped up in local site, Causeway Nature Reserve, where visitors can book a free birdwatching session and guided nature tour with one of Heathrow’s expert ecologists. The tour around the biodiversity site will take nature enthusiasts through diverse habitats, including freshwater lakes, reedbeds, grasslands and woodlands – offering the chance to spot rare flowers, plants and wildlife.

In addition to 79 species of bird soaring in the skies, visitors may encounter Britain’s rarest native tree, the Black Poplar, as well as the Small Heath butterfly and grass snakes. The surrounding meadows and farmland across Heathrow’s biodiversity sites also host rare spiders and beetles, more than 30 butterfly species, native bluebells, wild daffodils, sweet violets and a wide range of other wildlife, including kingfishers, harvest mice and barn owls.

Hear more from Heathrow at the FTE World Innovation Summit, hosted by Pittsburgh International Airport on 13-15 May 2025. Steve Armitage, Head of Innovation, Heathrow, is participating in a ‘Future Airports’ conference session focused on ‘Outstanding innovation approaches from airports around the world to take inspiration from’. See the FTE World Innovation Summit agenda >> Register for the FTE World Innovation Summit >>

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Heathrow opens bird watching tower as it enhances commitment to biodiversity and launches Nature Positive Plan