We're very pleased to announce the opening of our brand new Discovery Centre at the centre in Stonham Aspal. It was devised and created by the charity’s Admin Team, Catherine and Anna (with some help from master of the spray paint, falconer Dean) and its purpose is to highlight many of the extraordinary facts about owls & other birds of prey, as well as emphasising the importance of British wildlife conservation in general. To do this they've developed a host of different interactive displays & exhibits which are great fun too try as you read alongside all about our feathered friends.
Among the intriguing, hands-on exhibits are:
- HOW DO I LOOK? - Have fun as your photo is taken in the guise of an owl!
- GET A GRIP - Test the strength of your grip against that of a Golden Eagle - you’ll soon grasp the difference!
- MEASURE UP - You’ll have to stretch to beat the wingspan of Charlie Condor, the world’s biggest bird of prey!
- FOOD CHAIN FACTS - Make yourself a bracelet as you discover how the Food Chain links together!
- PELLET DETECTIVES - Discover what’s in an owl pellet and how it can help you discover more about their diet.
- HIGH FLYERS - Flying over Everest with only the beat of your wings to keep you airborne is hard to imagine - but this vulture does it every year!
- A WORD IN YOUR SHELL-LIKE - Compare the diversity of size and colour of different raptor eggs.
- RAPTOR FACTORS - Fantastic facts about birds of prey brought to life - contrast their extraordinary fields of vision, ability to withstand extreme temperatures and much more…
- BOOK CAMP - Grab a book from our library and sit around the campfire to read all about owls, both fact & fiction.
- COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION - You’ll be amazed at how many British wildlife species are under threat of extinction, and how the Countryside Code can help.
- DAMAGE LIMITATION - You’ll be surprised how Rubbish we are at conserving our wildlife!
Though of interest to nature-lovers of all ages, the Discovery Centre is especially targeted young audiences, adding an extra dry-weather attraction for visiting schools when they come to see the huge range of different birds of prey housed at the Sanctuary and the spectacular flying displays which take place there between Easter & October.