Washington Wetland Centre to help people beat the winter blues with free guest offer to get back to nature

Washington Wetland Centre is looking to help people beat the winter blues by getting back to nature and are offering the opportunity to visit the popular attraction for free.

While the snowdrops are starting to emerge from their winter slumber and the days are getting tentatively longer, Wearside remains very much in the grip of winter.

On the back of several months of little daylight and warmth, January is renowned for being a period when people's mental wellbeing can suffer.

According to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT), research  has shown that "just ten minutes in a wetland setting, spaces like a marsh, lake or river, is enough to boost your mood".

With World Wetland's Day scheduled for Friday ,February 2, the WWT Washington Wetland Centre has announced a long weekend (February 2, 3, and 4) in which WWT members or a paying visitor can get another guest admission for free to help "share the stress-busting power of wetlands with as many people as possible".

As well as enjoying one of the centre's many walks and opportunities to observe wildlife from the hides, visitors can also get to see some of the residents including the Chilean flamingos and family of otters.

People can also enjoy the winter edition of the Drawn to Water trail, which focuses on the key seasonal highlights around the wetlands using illustrations of world famous artist Quentin Blake as a guide. 

WWT Washington’s Centre Manager, Gill Pipes said: “At WWT we celebrate wetlands 365 days a year, but World Wetlands Day helps us bring even more people to our sites to just be sharing the beauty and peacefulness of these super-powered habitats.

“With the theme of World Wetlands Day this year focusing on wetlands and human wellbeing, it’s the perfect weekend to share a moment of calm with your friends and loved ones.

“Seeing how happy and excited people feel while in our wetlands leaves us feeling pretty great too.”

World Wetlands Day is a global celebration of this vital habitat which aims to raise awareness about the pivotal role of wetlands for people and the planet.

Further details about what to see and the free guest offer can be found on the WWT Washington Wetland Centre website.