Centre Closed Sat 23rd Nov

Due to adverse weather conditions and in the interests of staff and visitor safety, WWT Castle Espie will be closed on Saturday 23rd November. We apologise for any inconvenience.

More

Close alert

Wintery weather to continue as Ice Age returns to Castle Espie.

Ice Age at Castle Espie

The recent cold snap which brought Arctic temperatures and icy conditions is set to continue this weekend at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre when the visitors will get to experience the Ice Age.

The two day family event on Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March from 11am – 4pm will explore the Ice Age, a time when the land was covered with snow, ice, and unusual creatures. There’ll be fun experiments with miniature icebergs where children can discover what’s hidden inside and learn how the ice made valleys and shaped our scenery.

Ice Age explorers can help visual artist Jim Russell build a giant woolly mammoth sculpture using long, bendy willow twigs called withies. The woolly mammoth became extinct over 10,000 years ago due to climate change and hunting as they were hunted for their tasty meat and warm pelts that could keep an entire family warm in bed. The huge creatures weighed five to seven tonnes and measured up to 13ft long, their long and curvy tusk helped them to defend themselves from attack by sabre toothed tigers.

Sarah Clarke, Centre Manager at Castle Espie Wetland Centre said: “This is the first in a series of themed weekend activities for families visiting Castle Espie. Each weekend we’re offering mini activities that bring people closer to nature in fun and interactive ways. Ice Age is a great opportunity to delve into history, learn some fascinating facts and get creative building a giant woolly mammoth with visiting artist Jim Russell.”

Ice Age is free with normal admission, WWT members and Under 4s go free. For full details of weekend events at Castle Espie go to wwt.org.uk/castleespie/events, call 028 9187 4146 or follow @WWTCastleEspie on facebook and twitter.

  • Share this article