BIRDWORLD will officially celebrate the opening of the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament next Friday with a Discworld Day featuring dignitaries Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs.
The beautifully-crafted exhibit has been created in collaboration with the World Owl Trust and has been named in honour of award-winning author Sir Terry Pratchett to reflect his well-known love of wildlife and, in particular, all species of owl.
As well as showcasing a wonderment and diversity of owls from the magical snowy owl to the reputedly wise long-eared owl, the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament will aim to educate and raise awareness of these amazing birds. The display will also provide an interactive space for visitors to learn fascinating facts about strigiformes – the order in which owls belong.
The Owl Parliament has been created both as a satellite of the World Owl Trust’s collection and to recognise Sir Terry’s passion for these mysterious birds of prey. Visitors familiar with Prachett’s popular Discworld novels will easily recognise a number of the references but with the unique stylising of these aviaries, everyone exploring the exhibit will be drawn into the mythical and wonderful world of the late Sir Terry Pratchett.
To celebrate the day, visitors will be invited to attend the official opening ceremony and to explore the unique aviaries for themselves before joining in with plenty of Discworld fun and games throughout the day, including a themed quiz trail, a charity raffle and auction packed full of prizes, educational talks and even a special question-and-answer session with Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs.
“April 28 marks Sir Terry’s 69th birthday and to celebrate this special day with an event such as this we hope will be a fitting tribute to the award-winning author.
“We are looking forward to being able to showcase such an extraordinary selection of owl species, many of which are threatened with the loss of habitat in the wild and for visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in the mysterious world of Sir Terry Pratchett in the process.”
Located on the A325 at Holt Pound, the 26 acres of landscaped park and gardens at Birdworld are home to more than 800 birds and 180 species from around the world.
The park also is home to the Underwater World aquarium and the Jenny Wren Far