A NEW exhibit based on the home of a European settler and his native American wife is now open.

Hunter's Creek, based at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), in Washington, Wearside, was opened by John Leaver, of Sita Environmental Trust.

Funded by a grant from the trust as part of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, it explains the impact of European settlers on North American people and wildlife.

A new educational trail provides information on the subject, and every day between noon and 3pm, actors Jason Mullen and Maria Lavelle play the roles of the two historical characters, telling visitors about their lives.

Chris Francis, manager of the WWT, said: "This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the team at WWT Washington.

"We think the end result is wonderful, and hope that visitors will share our enthusiasm for the story of Hunter's Creek.

"This is the first time that we have used actors to tell a story, and we are very excited about the whole project."

Mr Leaver said: "We wish Hunter's Creek every success in sharing the story of North American settlers and wildlife.