School holidays @ the Wellington Discovery Forest Centre

The Nearer to Nature team from the Parks and Wildlife Service has lined up some exciting activities for the whole family this April School Holidays at the Wellington Discovery Forest, a short drive from Gnomesville and Wellington National Park.

For those looking for something free to do for the whole family, the Wellington Discovery Forest Centre will be open on 17th to the 20th April. Bring the kids for a shared family experience including hands-on crafts and a wonderful taxidermy display.

The Wellington Discovery Forest Centre offers a fascinating and extensive collection of native fauna taxidermies, displayed within their native habitats, which brings the fauna of the south west to life and offers a close up view of some of our unique and secretive nocturnal native animals. Nearer to Nature’s experienced education officers will be available to provide information on the specimens. The centre also hosts a weird and wonderful collection of artefacts collected from the forest, many of them displayed on the hands-on 'touch table' where you can take a closer look and handle everything from emu eggs to skulls, furs and even some mummified animals.

We will play some great documentaries as well as a range of puzzles and paper craft activities where kids can build their own animal and learn more about our amazing wildlife.

Opening hours during the school holidays:

• Monday 17th, 12pm - 2pm
• Tuesday 18th, 12pm - 2pm
• Thursday 20th, 10.30am – 2pm

Workshops 

We are excited to once again team up with local experts to provide an array of activities to suit members of the whole family.

Our very popular workshop, SW Reptile Encounter will be back again on the Thursday 13th April where all family members can get up close and personal with our scaly friends from SW Reptile Rescue and Education.

On Monday 17th, bring the kids and together we will take a closer look at the Creepy Crawlies that call the jarrah forest their home. We will delve into the world of the arthropods and discover how to identify different insects and arachnids.

Tuesday 18th April will see us exploring, observing and recording the wonders of the Discovery Forest in the Nature Journalling for Kids activity. Nature journaling is a set of skills that can be taught and learned. You do not have to be an artist to take up nature journaling, all you need is an open mind, ability to observe and be curious.

On Friday 21st, come join Dean Arthurell of Carnaby’s Crusaders to learn about black cockatoos and meet one of these beautiful but endangered birds up close! Learn why black cockatoo’s are crucial to our environment and what we can do to support them. Then take a walk around the jarrah forest to see their natural habitat and hopefully spot the resident red-tailed black cockatoo flock that calls it home.

In the evening we will enjoy a night under the stars, sharing, listening and learning about the night sky from local traditional owners and members of the SW Astronomy Society. This is a family friendly event where we can all learn more about how the sky connects to the land around a campfire.

Saturday 22nd, our local survival expert from Survive It SW! will be teaching some very important bush survival skills. With over 20 years experience in search and rescue, our survival expert will lead us through the bush and teach us important survival tips such as which plants are poisonous, how to collect and filter water and how to signal for help. You will learn what materials are best for starting a fire to stay warm and what equipment is important to keep on you for emergency situations.

To finish off the school holiday program, on Sunday 23rd April, Jacqui from Joy Trails will be providing a gentle immersion in to the Wellington Discovery Forest with her guided forest meditation activity. This workshop is for people aged 16 years and over who would like to find relaxation, peace and joy in the forest.

For all the workshops above, there will be limited availability, age restrictions and fees.

View the terms and conditions, check out the calendar of activities and book an activity.

For further enquiries please phone the DBCA Bunbury office on 9725 4300.

Our Nearer to Nature Parks and Wildlife officers are looking forward to welcoming you to the Wellington Discovery Forest and sharing the wonders of it with you.