Big 9 challenge: TV presenters nationwide nature quest
On 25 January TV naturalist and WWT supporter Mike Dilger starts a nationwide tour to raise awareness and money for wetlands.
The quest will take in all nine WWT centres across the UK in just nine days, finishing on World Wetlands Day (2 February).
Along the way Mike will see some of the country’s best natural winter spectacles, such as thousands of wild swans from the Arctic that gather on the Ouse Washes.
Mike will be meeting WWT visitors and supporters, giving talks and blogging about his travels online.
Speaking from the WWT headquarters at Slimbridge on the shores of the Severn Estuary, Mike said:
“Wetlands are amazing. At this time of year in the UK they are simply teeming with wildlife. So my mission is to encourage as many of you as possible to get outside and experience them for yourselves.
“And, as we build up to World Wetlands Day on 2 February, it is worth remembering that wetlands around the world and their wildlife are incredibly vulnerable. WWT works all around the world and is striving to secure a future for species such as the unique spoon-billed sandpiper, which has been driven to the brink of extinction by the misuse of wetlands on the other side of the world.
Mike will be helping WWT staff and volunteers at every one of the centres he visits and getting to meet the visitors. He will be at the following centres:
| Friday 25 January WWT Arundel, West Sussex |
...giving boat tours on the WWT Arundel waterways and giving VIP dusk birdwatching tours |
| Saturday 26 January WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire |
...feeding the wild Bewick’s swans, catching and ringing ducks |
| Sunday 27 January WWT National Wetland Centre Wales, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire |
...feeding the 500 (birds in the collection) in under an hour |
| Monday 28 January WWT Martin Mere, Lancashire |
...feeding the wild whooper swans |
| Tuesday 29 January WWT Castle Espie, Northern Ireland |
...helping an ornithological study by surveying the birds of Strangford Lough |
| Wednesday 30 January WWT Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire |
...feeding the wild whooper swans |
| Thursday 31 January WWT Washington, Tyne and Wear |
...exercising the young flamingos and feeding the otters |
| Friday 1 February WWT Welney, Norfolk |
...feeding the wild whooper swans |
| Saturday 2 February – World Wetlands Day! WWT London Wetland Centre |
....opening a state-of-the-art birdwatching hide and tracking down the elusive bittern. |
Toyota has kindly lent WWT a Prius hybrid car in order to reduce the impact of Mike's journey. Mike will travel by ferry to and from Northern Ireland. Mike will also spend several nights staying over on WWT's reserves, in part to minimise the cost of the tour, but also to enjoy those clear wintry sunrises over WWT's spectacular wetland landscapes.
