The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, who run Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire, are setting the Waterside Wednesday Challenge on 17 February as part of the Prince of Wales’ Half Term Nature Challenge.

Families taking part will be encouraged to follow the hashtag #POWNatureChallenge and share their creative responses throughout the week in the form of drawings, photographs or even short films.

Waterside Wednesday is one of six daily challenges aimed at encouraging children to get out doors and connect with nature locally. Each is set by a charity whose patron is the Prince of Wales.  Any travel should be on foot only.

The Challenge

Instructions

-Visit your local wetlands such as ponds, streams, lakes, and canals and spot as many birds as possible. Ducks are one of the easiest birds to find in wetlands, so why not create your own fantasy duck bringing together your favourite bits from the ducks you’ve seen.

-A guide on how to create your own fantasy duck can be downloaded from the WWT website. Or you can use your own materials, or send a photograph or video of your favourite bird.

Girl hand feeding West Indian Whistling Ducks at Martin Mere

-Don’t worry if you don’t spot any birds, or don’t have wetlands nearby, you can also use your imagination, or watch one of WWT’s live lake-side webcams at Slimbridge or Caerlaverock Wetland Centres on their website to see water birds in real time.

–Visit this page for the fantasy duck activity sheet, webcams and a guide to UK ducks

Nick Brooks, Centre Manager, says:

“Martin Mere Wetland Centre is delighted to be helping set Waterside Wednesday, as part of the Prince of Wales’ Half Term Nature Challenge this week. Getting children outdoors and developing their passion for nature helps create future conservationists and is fundamentally good for young people’s health and wellbeing. The latest research shows that blue spaces involving water may be even better for people’s wellbeing than green spaces, so we’re pleased to be joining our patron The Prince of Wales in encouraging families to get their wetland wellbeing fix this Half Term.” 

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) is a conservation charity working to save wetlands in the UK and around the world for wildlife, people and our planet.

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