Self-guided visits
A unique and unforgettable learning experience for you and your pupils, active and discovery-based and designed to support your teaching.
Self guided learning visit package
Included in your admission price enjoy:
- A full day's entry to our wetland centre
- 15% discount on admission
- Use of self-guided resources and maps
- Pre and post visit learning resources
- Safety information for risk assessments
- Free familiarisation visits for group leaders
Self-guided learning sessions
Lifecycles (spring to summer) - use our trays, bug pots and magnifying glasses to identify creatures in their natural habitats in the different stages of their life, great when exploring our wildflower meadows. Our paddock ponds are the place to discover frogspawn, tadpoles and frogs.
Amphibian and invertebrates (spring to summer) - use our pond dipping equipment and identification guides to dip into our raised pond to uncover creatures, and see what you can find. Practice your scientific skills to identify whirligig beetles, water boatmen, freshwater shrimps and great diving beetles.
Living Things and Habitats (summer) - investigate wetland habitats using our scientific equipment, discovering the diverse life in our raised and paddock ponds. Get close to wildlife and explore our wildflower meadows with our bug hunt resources.
Plants (summer) - explore wetland habitats and use our plant and tree identification keys to examine how wetland plants have adapted. Visit our wildflower meadow and wildlife garden to discover how plants survive and where they grow.
Ecosystems and Environmental Change (all year round) - investigate wetland habitats and use our resources to discover amazing underwater life in our ponds in spring/summer. Learn more about the water cycle, the importance of wetlands and our conservation work around the world by visiting our Campbell hide.
Birds and mammals (year round) - Use our binoculars and identification guides to discover and observe birds and mammals in action, experiencing the spectacular sight of wild birds flying in to rest. Spot tracks and signs of badgers as you learn more about mammals in their wetland habitats.
Adaptations, Evolution and Inheritance (all year round) - identify and describe how plants and animals survive in wetlands. Discover how swans are adapted to life in water as you get a close-up view at our swan feeds in winter (1pm daily). Use our pond dipping equipment in summer to discover how creatures have evolved.
Food Chains and Webs (all year round) - our binoculars will help you watch the waterfowl from our hides, discover how they obtain their food and investigate their behaviour whilst feeding. Use our pond dipping equipment in spring/summer to explore the food chains that exist in our wetland habitats.
Flight and migration (all year round) - investigate flight using our life-size swan resource and learn about our whooper swans' amazing journey from Iceland at our daily swan feeds in winter (1pm). Our binoculars and identification guides will help you discover migratory birds, spot house martins and ospreys in spring/summer and wildfowl in winter.
Self-guided learning resources
- Pond dipping equipment: Use our nets, trays, aquascopes and ID guides to discover amazing underwater life in our Paddock ponds - Spring to Summer
- Explore cards: Immerse yourself in wildlife with our colourful cards – great for exploring our Walk on the Wildside trail in summer.
- Bug hunting equipment: Use our trays, bug pots and magnifying glasses – great for identifying bugs on our wildflower meadows in summer.
- Spotter guide: Learn more about our different seasonal visitors and identify the six most common water birds.
- Life-size swan: Hold, measure and weigh our life-size swan resource - amazing whilst watching our wild whooper swan feeds in winter (11am and 2pm).
- Binoculars: Watch and identify birds around our reserve using our binoculars – don’t miss our winter migration spectacle.
- Species boards: Our fun, fact boards will help you learn more about the different creatures around you.
- Activity dice: Explore your creative side with our dice game - great to use on our fun seasonal trails.
Get in touch
Speak to one of our learning team today at WWT Caerlaverock to book your visit or find out further details.