Spring is a magical time to visit – birds are singing, blossom is blooming, bees are buzzing and butterflies are fluttering. Over the pools and wet meadows the lapwing is performing acrobatic aerial manoeuvres, calling ‘peewit, peewit’. Later on, look for the cute fluffy chicks who have to be up on their feet and running as soon as they hatch.
Creatures are beginning to stir in the murky depths of our ponds and you can get up close and personal with fierce dragonfly larvae, water boatmen and diving beetles. During the holidays our ‘pondemonium’ events are a firm favourite!
One of our pond skaters - they're fiercer than you might think!
Throughout the Easter holidays you can take part in special events and activities and there are always seasonal spotting sheets and activity packs for families. As well as pond dipping sessions, you can go ‘wild in the woods’ where you can meet tree giants, build yourself a woodland den and listen to stories with the friendly RSPB helpers. Or for budding artists, follow the poetry trail, make a wildlife mask and play hide and seek with the wildlife.
We are taking part in the South Downs National Park ‘Discover more of the South Downs for less’ spring campaign and offering 2-for-1 nature trail entry to visitors who travel here via public transport. Travelling by bus or train can be part of the adventure, especially for children. Rather than keeping your eyes on the road you can enjoy the beautiful landscape or play I-spy on your way here.
The South Downs is one of the South East’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting some 44 million visits every year, the vast majority by car. However, the amount of traffic within the National Park can threaten the very qualities that attract people in the first place, as well as causing congestion at some sites.
To encourage more visitors to travel by bus and train, 13 popular visitor centres, including ourselves, are offering 2-for-1 entrance fees for public transport users until the 30th April 2014. The attractions are located in different parts of the South Downs and are all accessible by public transport. Watch the campaign video at www.youtube.com/sdnpa and see the South Downs National Park come alive this spring. For more information and for full terms & conditions, please visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/discover
For an enjoyable day out we always advise you to check the outward and return journey times of public transport before setting off. Compass travel www.compass-travel.co.uk run a bus service (route 100) with a request stop at the nature reserve entrance.