Lyndon Visitor Centre - Weather and wildlife
The Lyndon Visitor Centre at Rutland Water Nature Reserve reopened at Easter 2008 following extensive refurbishment and the installation of an exciting new exhibition.
In planning for this, we wanted to showcase the wonders of wildlife around Rutland Water, but also to show how potentially fragile are all our ecosystems in the face of the threats of climate change and global changes to weather systems.
Entitled “Weather and Wildlife”, the new exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey to explain the impact of weather systems and climate change on humans and wildlife, using in particular the many migratory species that visit Rutland Water as illustration. Chief of these is, of course, the Osprey – perhaps the most spectacular migrant species at Rutland Water.
You can explore the Centre by starting at any part of the exhibition, which has an inter-connecting narrative. There are four main sections.
What makes up weather?
This section includes a live data feed from a weather station situated near the Visitor Centre.
Background to climate change
This part of the exhibition explains the likely impact of different climate-change scenarios, and incorporates live links to important climate-change websites where you can find out more about the subject.
There is also information and advice on energy conservation.
Phenology
This section explores the study of the effect of weather and climate on the behaviour of plants and animals. We will be keeping a day-by-day record of observations on the Nature Reserve to build up our own phenological database. There is also a live connection to the Woodland Trust website, Nature’s Calendar, where you can see the national picture ... the first frogspawn, first primrose, first swift etc.
The Rutland Osprey Project
Here there are live camera pictures of the Osprey nest in nearby Manton Bay. You can learn all about the project and the current situation.
During the summer there are members of the Osprey Project team on hand to tell you more and it is an easy walk from the Visitor Centre to watch the nest action from a birdwatching hide. More details here.
Pulling it all together is a large globe illustrating main migration movements, and a beautiful photo-montage of wildlife and weather.
The wonderful view out of the main windows is now enhanced by illustrated panels, specially commissioned from artists Dan and Rosie Powell, which will help you identify the main species around the Nature Reserve.
When you visit, don’t forget to take away with you one of our special cards, available from dispensers on the displays, which will give you ideas for exploring the “Weather and Wildlife” themes.
We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Anglian Water, Cory Environmental Trust in Rutland and King’s Cliffe Environmental Association for grant funding to complete this project.
The Lyndon Visitor Centre is open every day during the summer, from 9am till 5pm. It provides access to the Lyndon part of the nature reserve - details here.
