What is Wildwalk?
Wildwalk is a unique attraction right in the heart of Bristol’s city centre. It was originally conceived by Chris Parsons who headed the BBC Natural History Unit. His vision was to create an interactive exhibition around natural history film collections, using live animals and plants to bring the story of biodiversity to life. Wildwalk opened in 2000 as part of the At-Bristol science centre and behind the red brick walls of the building that also houses the Imax cinema, there is a lot more than you might expect…
If you love wildlife, Wildwalk is a great alternative to the traditional family day out at the zoo. It is a one-way journey through the whole of life on earth. There are several different elements to Wildwalk. Two walkthrough botanical houses, with the heat of a tropical rainforest, are a green oasis in the middle of a busy city, complete with birds and butterflies above your head and an ant colony to watch. A mix of live animals, including bright tropical fish, lizards, frogs, and scary scorpions and spiders, also brings the experience to life. But what sets Wildwalk apart, however, is the use of video footage showing the behaviour of some animals – screens and amazing images surrounding you as you walk through: it’s a completely immersive experience. There is always something different to see every time you visit.
Some of the hands-on elements from the Explore centre are incorporated so there are plenty of games to play and ways to find out more information about the wildlife around us. If you haven’t got much time to read, there are short poems to just give you a flavour, and staff are always really friendly and able to tell you more – and even show you some animals close up. Kids love the snake and insect handling sessions.
In the last year, Wildwalk has recognised a gap in the market for younger children too and has created a fantastic area all about life in the jungle. Nursery and Primary children can dress up, have story time, explore and play in a safe, fun environment. This kind of experience is so rare in the city that it would be a real shame to lose it.
The most important message that Wildwalk tries to convey at the end is about the state of our planet and the environmental messages in People & the Planet really should hit home with every one of us. We are destroying the habitats for wildlife and altering the planet with global warming. Wildwalk shows us some ways we can act to stop it before it’s too late.
You can see Wildwalk’s website at www.at-bristol.org.uk/Wildwalk/