A POOLE charity will open the doors to its new headquarters this week.

The Birds of Poole Harbour charity will unveil its new visitor centre at midday on Thursday (March 1).

The site, located on Poole Quay, will shine a spotlight on the harbour’s rich and

varied bird life and offer a range of interactive experiences to showcase the its ecological importance.

Visitors will be able to use touch-screen maps to plot and plan routes around the harbour, plus there will be several listening stations so people can familiarise themselves with the calls of local birds. While screens will stream exclusive content and local mini documentaries.

The centre even has its own indoor bird hide.

Paul Morton, co-founder of the Birds of Poole Harbour charity, said: “This really is a milestone for us, we’ve spent a lot of time figuring out who our audience is and making sure everything we do supports and engages with those people and extends their understanding of Poole Harbour, its beauty and its importance for birds.”

He added: “We’ve seen a huge spike in interest in our work in relation to people wanting to learn more about their local environment as well as birds and with our new HQ opening on March 1, this will hopefully act as a ‘go to’ focal point in which visitors can get a full overview

of just how rich and important Poole Harbour is not only birds but wider biodiversity too”.

Set up in 2012, the charity has spent the last six years working to interpret the harbour’s birds through a range of initiatives.

In 2017, Birds of Poole Harbour began a flagship project to restore the Osprey as a

breeding bird in Poole Harbour after a 200-year absence due to persecution.

The charity also engages with around 1,400 local schoolchildren with their popular school bird boat project whilst also investing in habitat improvement and creation work providing new and different places for people to try and connect with wildlife.