Put your walking boots on, pack a picnic and discover the local countryside. Click on ramblers.org.uk and follow the links to ‘your region’ and find out about all the walks in and around the country, or try a bit of the Herefordshire Trail, a large circuit devised by members of Herefordshire Ramblers which takes in all the market towns, villages, commons, woodlands, hills and farmlands. Or combine history with geography and walk one – or more – of the sections of the Three Castles Walk between Skenfrith, Grosmont and White castles.

On the site of the National Birds of Prey Centre and back in the hands of Jemima Parry-Jones, the International Centre for Birds of Prey offers the unmissable chance not just to see and learn about a wide range of birds of prey but also to watch them in flight at one of the daily flying sessions.

Birds of prey can also be seen in flight at the Black Mountains Falconry Centre just outside Abergavenny, where most of the birds have been trained by owners Roger and June James. As well as the birds, the centre has an animal pet corner, with goats, ferrets, pythons and guinea pigs.

International Centre for Birds of Prey: 01531 820286 or 01531 821581; Black Mountain Falconry Centre: 01873 850377 West Midlands Safari Park offers a simply perfect combination of fur and fun, with a four-mile safari trail providing sightings of rare white lions, elephants, rhinos, wallabies, wolves and wild dogs, tigers, camels and all kinds of deer and a leisure park where you’ll find 30 rides and attractions with something for all the family. A real value-for-money day out. For more information, visit wmsp.co.uk

More animals can be seen at Bristol Zoo Gardens, with more than 400 species including the Butterfly Forest, Gorilla Island, Seal and Penguin Coasts. Most of the exhibits are under cover, so it’s a great all-weather destination. Experience animal encounters and feeding times, try to beat the animal record breakers in the Zoolympics and learn about the plight of many creatures in the wild.

From Saturday, April 4, to Sunday, April 19, you can take part in the zoo’s first Easter egg hunt, with a special chocolate egg prize up for grabs during Easter weekend, from April 10-13.

Discover the dramatic world of butterflies at the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo as you walk with free-flying exotic butterflies and find out how you can attract butterflies to your own garden with the right plants. And if you’re in Symonds Yat to see the butterflies, don’t miss the aMazing Hedge Puzzle nearby. Planted more than 30 years ago by brothers Lindsay and Edward Heyes, the fun of the amazing Hedge Puzzle has made it Herefordshire’s most popular private tourist attraction. Recently it was also used as a location for the BBC series Merlin.

For details, call 01600 890360 or visit mazes.co.uk You don’t need to drive as far as the coast for a sight of marine life. Just head for the heart of Birmingham to discover a wealth of underwater magic at Birmingham Sea Life Centre. Spectacular displays from touch pools to walk-through underwater tunnels provide breathtaking encounters with everything from shrimps and starfish to seahorses, sharks and rays. Birmingham Sea Life Centre, is at the Waters Edge, Brindleyplace, Birmingham. Call 0121 643 6777 or visit sealifeeurope. com for more information.