‘Growing Better Connections’ project in north Pembrokeshire

Wildlife Trust volunteers have been actively involved in helping Cwm Arian Renewable Energy’s ‘Growing Better Connections’ project in north Pembrokeshire. Two days were spent planting trees to strengthen the habitat corridors between Ty Canol and Pengelli woods. These two woodlands are nationally important habitats as recognised by their status as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protected Areas.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales aims to restore nature in Wales and we have been developing plans for how to achieve this goal.

We want to work towards at least 30% of our land and sea to be connected and protected for nature’s recovery by 2030 and one of the best ways to do this is by expanding, connecting and restoring habitats to make more space for nature, and increasing the resilience of locally important and rare species.

As part of this plan, we recently bought Pencnwc Mawr Wood which borders Pengelli Forest. This expands the nature reserve by 20%, and will help to conserve the rare Barbastelle bats that live there. We are looking for more opportunities to expand, connect and restore woodland and meadows from Pengelli Forest to the Gwaun valley, which were once part of the temperate Celtic Rainforest.

Connecting areas of woodland through thick and contiguous hedgerows is vitally important to help species like dormice to move between them. Other species including many birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles (as well as fungi and lichens) will all benefit from increased feeding and nesting opportunities.

We are currently living through a period of catastrophic falls decline in species populations. This is caused by many factors, including habitat destruction and fragmentation. Enhancing habitats around the areas of greatest biodiversity is currently our best hope to halt or even reverse some of that decline.

This project is being made possible with the support of:

Landowners who are granting access and allowing us to thicken up the hedges.
Members of Brynberian Biodiversity Promotion Group who have helped with surveying and planting.
The Woodland Trust who have provided all the trees and guards.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park who have supplied discounted sweet chestnut fencing materials and are bringing volunteers to help with planting.
Volunteers of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Ramblers and children of Nant y Cwm Steiner school.