Nature's World

Situated in the Tees valley close to Middlesbrough, Nature’s World is “the North of England’s pioneering eco-experience”. Opening in 1992, we are a thriving visitor attraction, training centre and educational facility with over 29,000 visitors every year. Our 26 acre site contains over 100 different interactive features and exhibits focussing issues such energy generation, recycling and re-using waste, organic gardening, green transport, biodiversity and habitat conservation. 

A key focal point of Nature’s World is our earth-sheltered Hydroponicum (indoor rainforest). It is heated using geo-thermal bore holes which act as a natural storage system for summer heat to keep the building warm during the winter, while insulation comes from the earth-sheltering. Elsewhere on site we generate our own electricity from wind and solar power and recycle our waste water and sewage using a reed-bed system.

Other attractions include Future World 2020 where you can take a “space age” journey to discover how we’ll be living in two decades time. You can learn about recycling by playing our new interactive computer game – Race to Recycle. In our demonstration Earthship, made from recycled car tyres, you can take up the “Sustainability Challenge” and test how big your environmental footprint is. 

There are plenty of outdoor play features too including 'Race 4 Fun', where you can race around a track in electric powered buggies plus pedal go-carts and ride on tractors, our unique 400m long model of the River Tees and our new Giant Bank Slide which is a real hit with the kids!

Elsewhere in the gardens we have a giant “interactive” compost heap showing how worms work to transform waste into compost. We promote and explain organic gardening techniques through a range of demonstration gardens such as the Dig for Victory garden, the Wildlife and Wildflower garden, Nature's Lungs, a Wild Orchard, an organic vegetable allotment and the Rose Garden. Throughout the gardens we have created a series of themed trails to enable people of all ages to learn as they explore.

Open throughout the year, we have a tea-room and cafe with homemade refreshments, classroom facilities and a learning centre for groups of all ages. We also have several SME’s on site who involved in a range of activities including biodiversity regeneration, handcrafted glass and new media technologies. Come and see us for yourself - you'll want to come back!