Leighton Moss
We'll wow your pupils with wildlife and bring your classroom learning to life
Enjoy a fascinating day exploring a beautiful nature reserve packed with rare wetland habitats, where pupils learn about nature, conservation, ecology and the adaptations of birds and other wildlife.
Leighton Moss is rich in history and wildlife and nestles at the edge of the Lancashire-Cumbria boundary within the Silverdale/Arnside Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is easily accessible by road and rail.
Leighton Moss is an outstanding reserve for all seasons and has the largest remaining reedbed in northwest England. The main part of the reserve has a variety of other unique wetland habitats including willow scrub, a large pond and shallow freshwater lakes, as well as stretches of deciduous woodland and an apple orchard. The reedbed is home to special birds such as bitterns, bearded tits and marsh harriers, while the open water harbours a large population of over-wintering wildfowl.
The diverse habitats offer many quality learning opportunities for schools and colleges in a range of exciting educational programmes, which are tailored through careful liaison to the specific needs of each group.
Another part of the reserve borders Morecambe Bay with hides overlooking saltmarsh, mud flats and brackish pools. A third part includes the typical limestone habitat of Warton Crag, with its limestone pavements, rocky outcrops and meadow grassland.
We've a well-equipped classroom, picnic area, trails and numerous bird hides. We have enough space for two classes (approximately 60 children), which we'll divide into smaller groups of about 15.
Visits to your school can also be arranged, where we bring the amazing sounds and sights of the wildlife in our large reedbed and its surrounding habitats to life in your classroom.