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The birthplace of modern conservation, Slimbridge Wetland Centre is the ideal place to get closer to nature.
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A Great Day Out
Slimbridge is home to an astounding array of wildlife including the world's largest collection of swans, geese, and ducks.
A year round programme of walks, arts, events, workshops, talks and spectacular wildlife encounters are a fantastic way for everyone to connect to their natural surroundings.
Slimbridge is the vision of naturalist and artist Sir Peter Scott and holds international significance as the headquarters of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). It is here that the world renowned experts of WWT Consulting and Species Conservation are based.
The Grounds
The grounds are a safe home for the world’s largest collection of swans, ducks, flamingos and geese. Many of the species you’ll see are rare or endangered. WWT is involved in breeding and conservation programmes to protect these species and the places they live around the world.
Here you can visit Crane School where young cranes are being hand reared. Take a Canoe Safari to see wildlife from a new perspective, visit the heated tropical house where birds from the tropics fly freely. Your trip, here in Gloucestershire, will take you to see birds from around the world as well as wildlife native to these shores and unique to this area.
The grounds are also used by visiting birds who enjoy the safety provided by our fox proof fence and the regular feeding rounds by Slimbridge’s wardens (and visitors!).
The Reserve
Outside the fox proof fence lies a wild area of land managed by Slimbridge’s wardens. This huge area encompasses the grasslands to the shores of the Severn estuary and is a haven for wildlife.
Slimbridge’s reserve is a great place to see rare birds from all over the world. Take a Land Rover safari or visit one of our hides and you may see Hobby, Kingfishers, Redshank, Brown Hares, Dragonflies, wild Otters, grass snakes and wild Orchids. This spectacular reserve is also home to up to 35,000 wildfowl in the winter.
The reserve covers over 325 hectares and its wetlands have international protection including a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area.
The Visitor Centre
The award winning visitor centre, is the perfect place to relax and enjoy Slimbridge. Here you can take a trip to the top of the Sloane Tower for a magnificent 360 degree view of Slimbridge and the Severn Estuary, explore the Discovery Centre where you will discover Toad Hall, enjoy wildlife inspired films in the cinema and art in the gallery.
Take time to sample the home made locally sourced goodies in the Water's Edge restaurant overlooking the Caribbean Flamingos and find the perfect gift in the WWT shop.
Each day at Slimbridge
Here are some of the activities which take place at regular intervals throughout the year at WWT Slimbridge.
Floodlit Bird Feeds: from autumn to spring watch the magical spectacle of our daily commentated bird feeds as Bewick's swans return to Slimbridge after their long journey from Arctic Russia. You may see Crinkly our much-loved swan with a crooked neck or Dario and Dorcus, who are always among the first to return. The talks are given every day from the Peng Observatory at 4pm.
Welly Boot Land: Splash, stomp and wade through the water in your wellies at our wet play area for children. Build dams, pump and change the flow of the water, wind round the willow maze and spy from the crow's nest. Open daily (unless severe frost/freezing weather overnight)
Back from the Brink: Meet our friendly family of Otters: Flo, Mo, Minnie and Ha Ha and hear a talk as they tuck into a tasty fish supper. Talks are at 11am and 2.30pm every day.
Land Rover Safari: Explore the depths of the wild reserve on a Land Rover Safari on selected days from May to October*
Crane school talk: Visit the Crane School to see the cranes being hand reared. Talks are given at 11.30am and 2.30pm daily.
Meet the Flamingos: Slimbridge is the only place in the UK where you can meet all six species of flamingo. Join our daily talk at 3pm.
Guided Walk: Join our knowledgeable volunteers for a guided walk to discover the grounds of Slimbridge Wetland Centre and its many residents. (walk lasts roughly 1.5 hours). 11am and 2pm
Toad Hall demo: meet the frogs, talks and other amphibians in Toad Hall at 3.30pm weekdays and 12 noon and 3.30pm during weekends and school holidays.
Tropical House talk: Take a walk to the heated Tropical House for a short talk on the amazing tropical wildlife to be found at slimbridge. Learn more about tropics throughout the world at the talk at 3.30pm from Tuesday to Saturday.
Wildlife art gallery: Enjoy a stroll through Slimbridge’s wildlife art gallery. You may even decide to make an investment!
Cinema: Wildlife inspired films are shown in Slimbridge’s purpose built cinema each day
Canoe Safari: take to the water to discover a wetland trail rich in native plant species and wildlife. Pick up a paddle and step into a canoe for a wonderful wetland adventure.Open every Saturday and Sunday and daily during school holidays (weather permitting) from 11am - 4pm until March 31. Open daily through the summer* (all under 17s to be accompanied by an adult and a minimum age of 5 allowed on the canoes). The canoe safari is currently closed but will reopen during the christmas holidays.
*additional charge applies.
Times can vary so please check our what's on board when you arrive or ask a member of the Slimbridge team.
Enjoy panoramic views across the reserve and River Severn from this amazing vantage point which overlooks 325 hectares of internationally protected wetlands.
Your chance to get close to and interact with swans, geese and ducks. Fall in love with the Nenes, one of the tamest and rarest birds on the planet. WWT saved this wonderful species from extinction. Many of the birds can be hand fed and you can buy grain inside the centre.
A fascinating complex of deep water pools with shallow wader scrapes (wet mud). The heavy planting of this lake attracts a wide array of wildfowl & waders. There is always something to see. enjoy the amazing bird spectacles from one of the hides.
two of the six species of flamingo which live at Slimbridge - the smallers and the largest of their kind!
Learn all about them at a ?Meet the Flamingos? session. See if you can spot ?Hope?, the only Lesser Flamingo to be successfully bred at WWT Slimbridge in 60 years and meet Carlos and Fernando Slimbridge's famous same sex pair of Greater flamingos.
Come and enjoy our wonderful new family-friendly Kingfisher Hide, You can spot birds feeding all year round and see Kingfishers in the summer months. Or visit our other South Finger hides, great places to watch the wonderful birds and wildfowl, which visit or make their home at Slimbridge.
A beautiful walk open May through October. A short meander gives visitors a chance to sit on the shores of the estuary to watch the changing tides. From this peaceful point you can see a wide array of waders and gulls. Wildlife you may bump into along the way includes hares, butterflies, dragonflies, skylarks and a host of other birds.
A sight to behold from October to February when our Bewick?s Swans return to rest and feed. Get close and spot their individual bill patterns from the comfort of the heated Peng Observatory.
Compost capers, mini-beast hunts, autumn berries are all things to discover in the sustainable garden. Plus get tips for the development of your own garden.
Go behind the scenes from 24 May - 31 July for a tour of the Duckery to meet the youngsters who live there.