New hide brings wildlife and people closer
A specially designed hide introduced to bring wildlife and people closer together has now opened.
The new 16-sided, accessible hide was officially opened last week by Zelda Baveystock and WWT’s CEO Martin Spray, along with other funders and local councillors, with guests enjoying panoramic and uncompromised views of the regionally rare lagoon, river Wear and reedbed perfectly timed as the high tide came in.
The project was given a healthy kick start thanks to a WWT member and regular visitor donation, as well as other funders including a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which gives grants to sustain and transform heritage in the UK.
A key part of the hide’s design is the reciprocal roof - a series of interlocking beams distributing and supporting the weight of the sedum covering. This means no internal poles or beams were needed allowing for a vast and open-plan space to be enjoyed by visitors. The eco-friendly roof is not only a great habitat for wildlife, but also acts as a sound insulator so people can move around freely in the hide without the worry of disturbing the outside wildlife.
The new hide project has also seen the creation of a hide-side pool; created to encourage kingfishers to use the area. Sightings of this elusive bird have increased over the past 2 years here and it is expected that the hide will be a great place to spot them from. Materials removed from the pool area were recycled helping to create the platform the hide now proudly stands on.
Work on the hide started in January 2016 as part of a wider path and hides project, designed to allow improved access to all visitors to the saline lagoon area, which was created in 2013. The area helped strengthen the biodiversity of WWT Washington’s nature reserve by connecting it to the River Wear. Wildlife highlights enjoyed by visitors include wild European otter, roe deer, breeding oystercatcher and an array of flora. The addition of a composting toilet in October last year has also helped make the surrounding area convenient for everyone.
The lagoon is an example of one of the UK’s rarest habitats and its brackish nature – a mixture of fresh and sea water – provides the ideal salinity levels for a unique range of wetland species.
WWT Washington centre manager Gill Pipes said: “We’re very excited that the hide is now open and are hugely grateful to HLF and all of our funders, as well as the contractors and WWT staff that have made this project come to life.
“It was important to us that the hide sat well within our natural environment, providing a
comfortable and welcoming space for all visitors to our site - offering new areas for families to explore as well as a ‘green classroom’ for more than 6,000 school children a year.
“We can’t wait for visitors to come and experience firsthand the sights and sounds in and around the hide. It really is spectacular!”
The hide will play a key part in WWT Washington’s summer ‘Nature Explorer’ activities, and will benefit from an explainer funded by the project who will work alongside visitors to engage and educate them about the wildlife they can see, as well as an art project based around the hide.
Ivor Crowther, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North East, said: “We’re delighted to see the completion of the Saline Lagoon Hide which will provide the perfect nature spot for thousands of visitors to relax in and enjoy every year.
“Wetlands are vital in providing appropriate habitats for a diverse range of species and it’s really important that we continue to fund projects like this that will engage local communities and provide people with new skills and training opportunities.”
The contractors that worked so hard in the design and build of this fantastic new hide were The Roundhouse Company of Runcorn, Cheshire and JB Landscaping of Peterlee. Credit to them both!
