Great Days Out - Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Ben Bentley continues his month-long campaign to highlight the area’s top visitor attractions. Today it’s the turn of Shropshire Wildlife Trust. Click here for an overview of the great days out campaign and check back each day for the latest idea.
Ben Bentley continues his month-long campaign to highlight the area’s top visitor attractions. Today it’s the turn of Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
Click here for an overview of the great days out campaign and check back each day for the latest idea.
Where is it? 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6AH.
What is it? Visitor centre and wildlife garden with a shop full of bird food and other wildlife-friendly items.
How much is it? Entry is free.
What is there to do? If you’re interested in helping Shropshire’s wildlife and wild places, this is a great place to start.
The garden is a showcase for wildlife-friendly gardening, with flower beds packed with nectar-laden plants for insects. Watch bees crawling around flowers, laden with pollen; butterflies basking in the sun. The herb and vegetable areas demonstrate healthy plants grown organically and show how this is good for wildlife.
More than 40 species of bird have been spotted in this garden, along with 10 kinds of butterfly, six species of dragonfly and damselfly and a bush cricket.
You can pick up free information sheets on different aspects of wildlife gardening, buy plants and go home buzzing with ideas for how to make your own garden better for wildlife.
Visit the sea cave, listen to the waves, look at shells and crab claws and watch a video of how our seas need protection. But check before you come that the cave is open.
The Trust’s boat, the currach Gomphus, which was paddled down the Severn earlier this month, is on display. Its names comes from the scientific Latin word for the club-tailed dragonfly, a speciality on the River Severn.
A range of extra events are held at the Trust for people of all ages. Summer holiday activities taking place throughout August including a Robin Hood adventure session, a chance to become a nature detective and an elves and fairies event.
There is a charge of around £3 per child for these sessions. The Trust also runs many events on its nature reserves and other wild places around the county see www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/whatson for details.
Interesting fact: A mallard duck secretly nested in the garden this spring and surprised everyone when she waddled into the shop with five ducklings following her.
Opening times: 10am to 4.30pm.
Verdict: A green oasis with something to interest all ages – all overseen by a team passionate about nature in Shropshire.
Further information: Visit www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.