Sitting on the banks of the Severn Estuary, WWT Slimbridge is the birthplace of modern conservation and allows visitors to get up close and personal to a large and varied collection of wildfowl, mammals and amphibians.
Opening 364 days of the year, there is something for all ages to enjoy at Slimbridge whatever the season. Grab a bag of seed from the desk and feed the ducks, geese and swans. Young kids will love Welly Boot Land, where they can splash around to their hearts’ content in an outdoor, watery playground; there’s a soft play area for rainy days too. Older kids will delight in taking a canoe or coracle for a paddle around a 1km water safari trail. All ages will enjoy climbing the observatory tower, Landrover safaris and spotting birds from the 13 different hides – keep your eyes peeled for nesting kingfishers during spring and summer.
The reserve encompasses a wide variety of habitats including grassland, intertidal zones, reed beds, fresh water pools and woodland. These provide the ideal living conditions for some important and rare species such as water voles and up to 30,000 wintering birds, including the much loved Bewick’s swans who return year after year.
During your visit to Slimbridge, you will find out about important conservation projects. Toad Hall houses the UK’s largest collection of amphibians and an exhibition illustrates their dramatic decline across the world. There will be the chance to see a diverse selection of wildfowl, which includes all six species of flamingo. While WWT Slimbridge is mostly about birds, you will also be able to see the resident otter family, and may even catch sight of a water vole on sunny days.
If all the wandering around makes you thirsty, stop off at the Kingfisher Café. Not only does it serve a range of food and drinks, but it also boasts fabulous views of the pink Caribbean flamingos.
The money visitors bring to Slimbridge helps to support the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s pioneering science and conservation work. Local projects currently include reintroducing the common crane to southwest England.
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WWT Slimbridge, Newgrounds Lane, Gloucester GL2 7BT | 01453 891 900 | https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge
Images copyright WWT Slimbridge
