Come and see watervoles at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre
Watervoles have been sighted on the canoe safari and boat tours area at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, offering visitors a unique opportunity to spot, get close to and photograph watervoles in their natural habitat whilst enjoying a guided boat tour.
Work began back in 2010 to create 2.4 hectares of new reed bed, wet woodland and wet grassland (swamp) habitat at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre that became the channels used to allow our visits to get a close encounter with nature on a canoe or boat.
Centre manager, Nick Brooks, said: “It was always the aim of the canoe safari project to encourage BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan) species such as watervoles to use this new habitat ensuring our visitors can get close to a wide range of insects, birds and mammals they may never have the opportunity to see. It is fantastic that we can now offer this unique experience of seeing watervoles up close.”
There is evidence to suggest that watervoles are using Martin Mere’s reserve, however, this is the first time that we can be confident that our visitors can see them in a safe environment that does not disturb them.
The wetland creation project was originally funded by Lancashire Environmental Fund, SITA Trust, Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust (ICET) and WWT.
The guided boat tours run every day at WWT Martin Mere between 12 noon and 4pm. The boat can carry up to 8 people and can also accommodate 2 wheelchairs to ensure this experience is accessible for everyone. There is a charge of £2 per seat for the 25 minute guided tour.
For more information visit www.wwt.org.uk/martinmere
WWT Martin Mere is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm and parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The Centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. Visit the web site http://www.wwt.org.uk/martinmere to find out what’s on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight centres.
