The London Wetland Centre

The award winning London Wetland Centre is the first project of its kind in the world - more than 40 hectares of created wetlands in the heart of a capital city. The centre is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and offers visitors the chance to see rare and beautiful wetland wildlife just a stone's throw from central London.

The London Wetland Centre is the best urban site in Europe to watch wildlife and welcomes more than 175,000 visitors each year. The centre is open 7 days a week from 9.30am to 6pm (last admissions 5pm). From 25 May to 21 September 2006 the centre will also stay open late every Thursday until dusk (last admissions 8pm).

London's first wetland themed adventure area explore will open to the public at the London Wetland Centre on Saturday July 15 2006, providing a fun way for children to learn about wetlands and the environment while letting off steam.

This beautifully landscaped adventure area, within the 105 acre centre, will encourage children's imagination to run riot. They can become water voles, scurrying through a maze of oversized burrows and chambers, climb a boulder wall, race ducks down a river and fly like a bird to cross water. For the even more adventurous there will be a misty dell and rain cloud where children can dodge the rain - or get wet!

BBC Wildlife Presenter Kate Humble, has lent her support to explore, saying:
"explore is a fantastic new adventure area and I think children will love it. It is a brilliant addition to the London Wetland Centre which offers some of the best wildlife watching in Europe, right here in our capital city"

There are all sorts of wonderful, varied events almost every day from wildflower walks to an introduction to birdsong.

Escape the rush of London life for a few hours and be at one with nature.