The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales is an independent, autonomous charity with its own Board of Trustees. We are run by a small group of dedicated staff and supported by a large number of enthusiastic volunteers!

Cardigan Bay dominates the coastal profile of Wales – a long sweeping arc which joins the Lleyn peninsula in the north with Pembrokeshire in the south. It is a huge lee shore that faces the prevailing winds coming in off the Atlantic.

WTSWW’s marine monitoring work gathers evidence for critical datasets, used to strengthen the resilience of Wales’ network of protected marine sites and the protection of the marine species found within these sites. Long-term, uninterrupted datasets are particularly important to assess broad population trends, filling knowledge gaps, and informing decisions about use of the marine environment.

Surveys should be carried out by professional ecologists, registered with IEEM. When surveys involve protected species, such as bats, great crested newts or dormice, the surveyor should hold a license from Natural Resources Wales.

Through our skilled and experienced staff team at the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, we are able to offer a wide range of services to partner organisations involved in conservation land management, agencies, and private companies and landowners.

During three survey periods a targeted trapping programme under licence resulted in a number of Red squirrels being trapped. DNA analysis revealed five different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes within the Mid Wales population.