Conserving endangered species and getting children more engaged with the natural world are major aims of a planned multimillion pound expansion plan at Farnham’s Birdworld.

Plans to extend the attraction and an adjacent garden centre are part of an investment that will see the park completely revamped in order for Birdworld to attract more visitors and continue to carry out wide-reaching conservation work.

The attraction currently welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year and has an extensive conservation and breeding program for a huge range of bird species including flamingoes, penguins, parrots, pelicans and rare species such as the Socorro dove which has been extinct in the wild since 1972.

Speaking about the plans, James Robson, Birdworld General Manager said they hope to use the new species to inspire the next generation.

He said: “We want to use interactive and play initiatives to get kids to think outside of the box about how they are interacting with the animals. There is a lot of research to show that if you can get kids to enjoy and engage with wildlife at a young age they will take that into the rest of their lives.”

Included in the plans is a proposal for joint access for Birdworld and the adjacent garden centre off a new roundabout on the A325. There would also be a new entrance building, play barn, adventure play area and a conservation and breeding facility. The Forest Lodge Garden Centre would be demolished and a new improved and more energy efficient building constructed.

Conservation efforts are vitally important to Birdworld’s work with the view taken that the more that guests develop an interest in the birds then the more effort and funds that can be put towards conservation. As it stands 70 per cent of Birdworld’s collection is dedicated to species conservation and Mr Robson hopes this work can continue.

He said: “A big part of the focus that is gonna be coming in the coming years is some of these programs hopefully, will be returning these animals back to the wild.”

They take this commitment so seriously that no opportunity has been lost to protect and support wildlife. “Clandestine conservation” has been built into some of the plans including the proposed indoor play park.

Mr Robson said: “What they won’t realise is that above their heads we will be installing a specific space for bats.”

Birdworld first opened in 1968 and has a number of permanent attractions including a Terry Pratchett-themed Owl Parliament. Plans to redevelop the sites have long been in the pipeline as Haskins Garden Centre bought Forest Lodge, Garden Style and Birdworld in early 2020.

The development is showing its age, with the majority of the buildings on both sites being “of poor condition” and “near the end of their lifespan”.

It is hoped that the expansion work will begin in 2025, subject to planning approval, and much more information can be found by typing 20533 into the ‘search applications’ browser at https://planningpublicaccess.easthants.gov.uk