Twycross Zoo - a wildlife gateway to The National Forest

Both visitors and wildlife alike are being encouraged to travel between Twycross Zoo and The National Forest. Twycross Zoo lies just south of The National Forest but it is a gateway to this emerging Forest with animals, birds and other wildlife moving around the countryside between the habitats created by the zoo and the Forest.

And through new innovative information points installed by the National Forest Company, in partnership with East Midlands Tourism and Twycross Zoo, visitors will now be able to find out more on this emerging Forest and also explore the area more widely.

The development is part of the National Forest’s Visitor Infrastructure Project, funded by East Midlands Tourism (EMT) through its Public Realm Challenge Fund.

Already new information points, which range from shelters, panels and benches to listening posts and touchscreen kiosks, have been installed at Conkers Discovery Centre and Ashby Tourist Information Centre.

Other sites that will feature the new facilities include Beacon Hill Country Park, Ferrers Centre for Arts and Crafts, Sence Valley Forest Park, Snibston Discovery Park, Foremark, Staunton Harold and Thornton Reservoirs, Rosliston Forestry Centre and the National Forest Youth Hostel.

Information points will also be installed within key lay-bys on access routes into the Forest and the service areas MOTO Donington Park (A42/M1) and Welcome Break Leicester Forest East (M1).

New facilities at the zoo include a new Forest focus in the information centre and colourful Forest-themed tables for the zoo’s bar area, as well as seating, picnic benches and bins.

Suzanne Boardman, Zoo Director at Twycross, said: "We are delighted with the new facilities that are already proving popular with visitors and we look forward to continuing to play a key role with The National Forest and other local attractions, to encourage visitors to continue to enjoy the fantastic attractions that Leicestershire has to offer."

Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive of the National Forest Company said: "Twycross Zoo is a very near neighbour of The National Forest and we share a passion for conservation. The developments at the zoo make it an increasingly attractive place for families and others to visit and they will find it an easy hop from the zoo to explore all that The National Forest has to offer."

With EMT’s support, the National Forest Company is working with the tourism businesses and Leicester-based award winning tourism designers, Haley Sharpe, to install the innovative information points for visitors. These will place the venue firmly in the Forest and highlight other attractions available to visitors while they are here.

The work across all venues is due to be completed by March 2008. In the meantime, visitors can find more information on the huge choice of things to do and see in the Forest or places to stay for a brilliant weekend break by contacting the National Forest Company or logging onto the website Nationalforest.org.