Top Five for Families this Spring

There is so much to see and places to explore at Arundel Wetland Centre this season!

Spring is a great time to get the family together and enjoy being out and about in nature.

There is so much to see and places to explore at Arundel Wetland Centre this season! With migrating birds calling, flowers blossoming, and insects starting to emerge, there's lots to see, hear and do. Here are our suggestions for the Top 5 things to do this spring at your favourite wetland centre, WWT Arundel!

1. Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt April 5- June 1

Families will enjoy the brand-new Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt at WWT Arundel from April 5 to June 1, as WWT partners with animation studio Aardman and the Royal Entomological Society.

Dive into the wonderful world of wetland insects with TV character Lloyd the housefly and his new friend Dart the dragonfly. Follow the trail to help find Lloyd's friends and family and make their way to the bug hotel. Use the Lloyd of the Flies AR Bug Hunt Trail App produced by Aardman, to shrink to fly size and see the world through insects' eyes! Download it for free from the Apps Store or Googgle Play

Participating in the Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt activities with the downloadable App is included in the price of a WWT Arundel admission ticket or is free to WWT members.

Special Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Activity Packs can be purchased at the visitor centre for £4.

2. Look for New Life

Look out for newly hatched greylag goslings, mallard ducklings and coot chicks around the pathways and ditches around the centre in April. Birds are nesting this month, too! Find a nest box around the reserve to watch for a while – can you see birds going inside with nesting material or food for chicks? Grass snakes are on the move as well; sometimes, you can spot them swimming in the water!

Greylag goslings among the daisies at the picnic area near the boat jetty

3. Take a Pond Dip

Spring pond dipping opens Sat 5 April. Join our Learning Team at the Raised Pond to uncover incredible underwater life with a net and tray. Family dipping sessions for up to six people run in the morning and afternoon each day. Book at the admissions desk for £3 per family or group of 6 people.

Book a family pond dipping session for up to six people at our admissions desk when you visit.

4. Meet the new Dalmatian pelicans

Meet our two new male Dalmatian Pelicans, Odin and Logan, and say hello to females Rogue and Storm at their new Pelican barn at Pelican Cove. They are the largest species of pelicans in the world, with a 10-foot wingspan! See how you measure up on the pelican wings ruler. Meet one of our friendly Keepers at Pelican Cove each day at 2 pm. While feeding the birds, they will talk all things pelican and answer your questions about any of the amazing birds in the living collection at Arundel Wetland Centre.

The new Pelican Barn was built to shelter new males Odin and Logan, who are company to our females, Rogue and Storm.

5. Thrill to the diving ducks

Each day at 12 noon our keepers feed the birds in our beautiful, walk-through Coastal Creek Aviary. See the sea ducks dive for whitebait in the special cut-away diving tank. Get your camera out for unique underwater shots through the glass! Our Keepers give a short talk and are happy to answer any question about the amazing birds that live in this aviary like our spectacled eiders, tiny redshanks and wading avocets.

Watch the spectacled eider ducks dive for fish in this unique cut-away tank!

Bonus: All aboard a Wetland Boat Safari!

There is something special about being on the water and one of the best ways to see wetlands if from the water. The Wetland Discovery Boat Safari is a twenty-minute guided trip on our quiet electric boats through beautiful reeds and channels full of spring wildlife. Your guide will help you spot the wetland wildlife all around you.> Book your boat safari tickets from our admission desk on the day of your visit for £3 per person.

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