Discover more for less this half term Get the most from your money this half term, visit your local WWT Wetland Centre to enjoy a whole host of activities and events for the entire family. You’ll also be giving the children exciting opportunities to learn about the natural world around them.
WWT’s nine wetland centres across the UK are all different: from exciting interactive exhibits, discovery trails, fun, educational children’s play areas and full programmes of activities and events for all the family. Half term activities range from family arts and crafts to reptile encounters and otter talks.
Every centre introduces adults and children alike to the wonders of wetland birds and their habitats, with stunning scenery and nose-to-beak encounters with some of the world’s most dramatic and rare birds. Each centre has excellent restaurants and gift shops and all have family friendly and disabled facilities including buggy access, manual wheelchairs and electric buggies for hire.
Visit during the half term holiday and become a member of WWT and not only do you get your entrance fee refunded, but you get free entry for the rest of 2010. So you can bring the children back to any WWT centre as many times as you like over the Easter and summer school holidays and throughout the year for nothing! As well as free entry to WWT Wetland Centres, members receive an exclusive quarterly magazine, Waterlife, which keeps you up to date on what’s going on at all nine centres and WWT’s conservation work around the world.
Activities during the Half Term holiday at WWT centres include:
WWT Arundel T 01903 883355 West Sussex
Become an Ecoteer! Saturday 13 – Sunday 21 February This half-term, visit Arundel Wetland Centre for fun, free activities and crafts about insects, plants, animal and birds. Complete the Discovery Trail and any two activities to get your badge to be an Ecoteer! Activities are free, usual centre admission applies.This event is part of 2010 UN International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).
WWT Castle Espie T 028 9187 4146 County Down, Northern Ireland
St Valentine's love birds on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February. Bird-box building workshops. Love is in the air at this time of year and the birds will need a place to settle down and raise a family. 2pm to 4pm each day. Extra charge.
WWT London T 020 8409 4400 Barnes
Make half term go with a bang! A packed programme of events all week including 'The carbon dioxide show', interactive events about climate change featuring alka-seltzer rockets, a soda volcano, a sand castle destroying contest and a cola geyser! Plus pond dipping, arts & crafts and 'sustainable' games. Plus, on Sat 13 and Sun 14 February, come to our Animal Magic weekend - Start off the February half term by meeting some friendly farm animals from Miller’s Ark Animals. Don’t miss the popular animal demonstrations, including rabbit and guinea pig handling and pony grooming. 12 noon – 4pm (in the courtyard).
WWT Martin Mere T 01704 895181 Lancashire
Otter feeds - Come and see our family of Asian short-clawed otters as they are fed daily at 11.30am and 2.30pm. The feed also includes a talk by a volunteer. You will also see the new baby otters born on 3 October 2009. Family activities - 11am – 4pm: Family crafts in the building (some require a small charge) including the 'Quick Flight Challenge' were you make a swan and fly it across the zip wire. 11am - 4pm: Make a mini-garden to take home in the Dome (£2). You will get a large seed tray and can use natural materials to create an imaginative wildlife garden. 2pm: Join in the fun wetland game on the grass lawn
WWT Slimbridge T 01453 891900 Gloucestershire
Reptile Encounters - Sunday 14 February Enjoy the opportunity to get close to and even handle lizards, snakes and tarantulas - just drop in to the Get Closer room at any time. Not for the squeamish! Time: 11am to 4pm Cost: Free with admission Children’s Introduction to Bird Watching - Wednesday 17 February Trying to look out for and identify a wide variety of birds can be quite a challenge. Join our warden who will help you find the best starting point and share some expert tips on how to learn and develop your bird watching skills and knowledge. Ideal for real beginners or those interested in starting this hobby. Minimum age: 7 years old Time: 9.30am Cost: £10 Must be pre-booked on 01453 891223
WWT Washington T 0191 416 5454 Tyne & Wear
Saturday 13-Sunday 21 February Join us for family fun throughout the school holidays! Build a bat box, bug hotel or bird box and make your own wind chime (1-3pm, prices vary). Discover the life that lurks in dead trees on a mini-beast safari through Hollowood and create a woodland home for the creatures that you find (11am-noon and 1-2pm, free). Win daily prizes by playing our Bio-Diver-City board game. Please call the centre on 0191 416 5454 or email info.washington@wwt.org.uk for further details.
WWT Welney T 01353 860711 Norfolk
Saturday 13 - Sunday 21 February Family trail and arts and crafts to celebrate Welney’s winter spectacle and the importance of healthy wetlands. Join us in the International Year of Biodiversity to celebrate the wealth of wildlife which use the wetlands at Welney at this time of year. Witness one of the most spectacular sights in the UK as wintering wild swans and wildfowl are fed daily at 12noon and 3.30pm. Or wait until dusk when thousands return to the washes at night to roost and watch the 6.30pm floodlit feed. Normal admission applies.
Ends. For more information contact Jenna Hopkinson 01453 891144 or Jane Waghorn 01453 891176 or email prteam@wwt.org.uk. www.wwt.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
1. WWT is a leading UK conservation organisation saving wetlands for wildlife and people across the world. With over 60 years experience of wetland conservation, WWT is committed to the protection of wetlands and all that depend on them for survival.
2. WWT operates nine specialist wetland visitor centres in the UK that are visited by some one million people every year from around the world. The centres provide a place to walk, relax, learn, and get closer to nature. Over 60,000 children benefit every year from educational visits to a WWT centre.
3. In total over 2,000 hectares are managed by WWT, including seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), one Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), six Special Protection Areas (SPA), Part of one Marine Nature Reserve and six Ramsar sites, supporting over 200,000 waterbirds.
4. WWT members enjoy free access to all nine visitor centres and are kept up to date with developments through a quarterly magazine.