Feel the love for wetlands this Valentine's Day
Looking for a Valentine’s Day with a difference this year? Then where better to turn for inspiration than the bird world – which has courtship rituals and romantic serenading down to an art form.
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) has designed a series of create-your-own Valentine’s e-cards for love-birds to send to a potential mate, complete with audio bird mating calls that can also be used as ring tones.
From the strong and masterful boom of the bittern and the romantic song of the linnet, to the cheeky flirtations of the eider duck and the urgent cries of the reed warbler – whatever kind of lover you are (or want to be!), there’s an appropriate downloadable call for you.
Log onto www.wwt.org.uk/valentines and create your own e-card by choosing from one of eight different bird mating calls and a selection of saucy wildlife images – including mating ladybirds and loved-up white-faced whistling ducks - then simply download or send via Facebook from the official WWT Facebook page. With no paper involved it’s better for the environment too!
The cards can also be used as an invitation for a unique Valentine’s Day date at WWT Washington Wetland Centre. Naturalist (and dishy heartthrob!) Nick Baker has coupled up with WWT to create some fun leaflets, packed with quirky and risqué love-inspired facts about the strategies that wildlife and plants use in romance, copulation and competition for mates.
Simply visit www.wwt.org.uk/valentines and download the most appropriate ‘(Wetlands) Lover’s Walk’ leaflet for you - whether you are a singleton looking for true love, are still at the dating stage or are with a long-term partner. You can then impress your (potential) other half with your amazing encyclopaedic wildlife knowledge on a romantic stroll around the stunning wetlands, woodlands and wildlife reserve at WWT Washington.
Nick Baker said: “Wetland wildlife is surprisingly creative and ingenious when it comes to courtship activities - perhaps we can learn from nature. Biomimicry is the science of taking inspiration from nature and has solved many of our technology problems, so there’s no reason why that shouldn’t apply to relationships too. Their quirky love calls may just work in attracting a human mate - sending one to your valentine this year will definitely make them smile and isn’t that half the battle in the language of love? Have you ever heard the risqué call of an eider duck?”
‘(Wetlands) Lover’s Walk’ leaflets, audio e-cards and ring tones are all downloadable from www.wwt.org.uk/valentines For further details about visiting WWT Washington, check out our other web pages, email info.washington@wwt.org.uk or call 0191 416 5454.
