From water-loving birds to rare breeds of creepy crawlies, Slimbridge Wetland Centre is home to a whole host of wetland species – and visitors can get up-close with many of them at its new Waterscapes Aviary.
This summer 2021, visitors to the Gloucestershire attraction can immerse themselves in four wetland habitats, with the open-air aviary being one of the biggest of its kind in the UK.
See birds wading through the waterscape, with elegant spoonbills and perky redshanks to spot; rare bearded reedlings to meet and greet; as well as the chance to see ducks take the plunge at the underwater duck tank.
There’s also plenty of wetland critters to discover, including butterflies, dragonflies and pond creatures that all rely on the wetlands for their survival. And keep a keen eye out for the azure and blue-tailed damselflies – which have been bred for the first time in captivity at Slimbridge.
All with Slimbridge’s trusty volunteers on hand to answer any questions and help each visitor to get the most out of their aviary experience.
The aviary is attached to Slimbridge’s new Living Wetland Theatre, with both new exhibits opening in 2021 as part of the Slimbridge 75 project – funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Also new for this year is Mission Possible, a Hawaiian-inspired exhibit celebrating the nene, a rare breed of goose that the WWT helped to bring back from the brink of extinction; and Slimbridge’s interactive Wetland Heroes app, which invites families to explore the site in a whole new way.
With Slimbridge’s summer campaign #MySlimbridge encouraging families to share their wetland adventures as they discover the site’s secrets too.
For more information, and to book tickets to Slimbridge Wetland Centre, visit wwt.org.uk/slimbridge.
