The school summer holidays are almost here and families looking for a fresh adventure to deepen their connection with nature can enjoy a new postcard trail launching on 20 July at WWT Washington.
Giant postcards, designed by children’s illustrator Ella Beech, share personal messages and fun travel stories from nine quirky animals who live in wetland habitats around the world.
Dotted around the centre’s animal collection and wild reserve, visitors to WWT Washington will use a trail map to find the postcards and discover new wetlands and the animals that thrive within them.
Created to offer an unforgettable experience, the postcard trail encompasses all corners and habitats of WWT, so explorers will not only read what’s happening in wetlands across the globe, but see, up close and personal, the interesting animals enjoying the summer months at Wearside’s Washington Wetland Centre.
Enjoy Asian short-clawed otters as they swim, roll in sand and juggle pebbles, dragonflies and damselflies at the amphibian ponds and the North East’s only flock of Chilean flamingos with their striking pink plumage and dancing displays.
Families completing the trail also get a special WWT Washington postcard, so they can share their amazing experiences and what they’ve learnt about wildlife and nature with a loved one, or even write to another WWT site in the UK or even WWT conservation partners to share messages of support!
Gill Pipes, Centre Manager at WWT Washington, said: “We love sharing the wonder of the wetlands with families and can’t wait to welcome them this summer for a truly memorable day out. The postcard trail offers a real opportunity for families to explore nature and learn more about wildlife, both here and around the world.”
The postcard trail is part of an on-going programme of summer activities at WWT Washington, which includes hands-on pond dipping sessions, fun interactive den building afternoons, up close insects with minibeast hunting, nature exploration with animal tracking, wild walks and many more activities on offer, all included as part of general admission.
Families who’d like to get involved can pick up a trail guide at the visitor centre. More information about this activity and all the exciting and educational things to do at WWT Washington can be found at: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/washington/whats-on/events
Participating in WWT Washington’s postcard trail is included with general admission and free to WWT members. The trail is running from 20 July until the end of the school summer holidays.