Whooper swan spectacular this winter
Happy New Year! What better way to celebrate the start of the New Year than with a visit to WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre. Come and discover why we’re the only place in the North West that welcomes thousands of whooper swans over winter. Every year, around 2,000 whooper swans migrate to here from Iceland and spend the winter on the mere. To celebrate these amazing swans, we’ve got a number of swan-themed activities at the centre.
Every Saturday in January we are holding our Swans Awake event. Book your tickets to experience the thrill of an early morning hide visit with a warden and watch as the mere comes to life as the sun rises, followed by a full English breakfast in our café. If early mornings aren’t for you, try one of our Floodlit Swan events instead. Held on Tuesday evenings in January, you can witness the stunning sight of the wildlife coming in to roost for the evening, all lit up by our floodlights.
As well as these bookable events, we have a number of free activities throughout the centre. In our Exhibition Hall we have our swan pipe experience which is a brilliant opportunity to put yourself in the place of a swan during a catch. You’ll be able to go through a replica swan pipe, try on a swan jacket that we use to catch swans, learn how we take measurements including the wingspan of swans, weigh yourself in swan weight and create your own swan ring to keep as a souvenir of your experience.
For younger ones curious about nature we have our Discovery Trail. Collect a booklet on arrival and explore our grounds to find the answers to questions such as how fast do swans fly and how far do they travel. Every child that completes the trail gets a sticker for their swan ID card. The discovery tail is a great way to spend some time exploring as a family and learning as you go.
As well as the discovery trail, you can learn all about WWT's conservation work both past, present and future by taking a look at the WWT Conservation Exhibition in our Exhibition Hall. WWT is a pioneer in wetland conservation - our scientists and conservationists have led the way for more than 70 years.
This winter, wrap up warm and come and enjoy the great outdoors at Martin Mere.
