It has been a non-stop summer of wildlife engagement here in Cardiff, with a whole range of activities and events being hosted across the city. Our team has been busy running a series of wildlife ID sessions at Forest Farm Nature Reserve on behalf of the Local Nature Partnership, covering everything from bumblebees and butterflies to trees and wildflowers! This year was fantastic for wildflowers and pollinators, and through our training sessions we were able to see a whole host of species that call our city home.

As well as sharing handy knowledge to help identify some of our plants and animals, these sessions were a great opportunity to tell members of the public about important national citizen science projects, such as the big butterfly count and bee walk. Citizen science projects such as these are vital to help conserve our wildlife for future generations.

Another event we hosted at Forest Farm this summer was a Welsh language Wildlife walk, which we arranged in partnership with Menter Iaith Caerdydd and local welsh wildlife guru Cenric Clement-Evans. This event was hosted as part of the Tafwyl festival back in July, and it was an opportunity for Welsh speakers and learners alike to come together and learn more about our local wildlife through the medium of Welsh. We saw a whole host of wildlife including Buzzards (Bwncathod), Swallows (Gwenoliaid), and we even caught a glimpse of the Kingfisher (Glas y dorlan). The event was a huge success, and we’re hoping to expand the walks with Menter Iaith and a local Welsh language bird walk group in the future.

School may be out for summer, but we spent the summer supporting different schools across Cardiff by running nature education sessions or developing their grounds for wildlife. Some of the activities include going for litter picks, making bug hotels, and talking about pollinators. The conversations about site developments are ongoing with the schools and supported once again through the Local Nature Partnership. If you have a space that you’d like to develop for nature, whether it’s creating a wildflower meadow or building a pond, then do get in touch. We’re always happy to offer advice about making our urban environment more biodiverse.

We’ve also continued to support the Wildlife Trust local members group here in Cardiff with their program of events. This started with a series of balsam bashes in the Roath wild gardens, which were run in partnership with the park ranger team to try and tackle the spread of this invasive species. Although we made a valiant effort across the site, there were still plenty of balsam plants left standing, so expect further balsam bashes next year.

The local group hosted a couple of bat walks within their program, one for the Highfields allotment owners and another for members of the public at Cathays cemetery. Although the weather prevented us from seeing many bats, it was still a fantastic opportunity to share some information about these brilliant flying mammals. If you’d like to get involved with any of the activities being hosted by the local group, make sure to sign up to the mailing list on their website.

Throughout the summer, we also attended some engagement days to bring some nature activities right to the doorsteps of communities across Cardiff. The most recent of which was the Rhiwbina eco day, where we hosted a stall in the Parc-y-Pentre green space alongside the Local Nature Partnership and Coed Caerdydd teams. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we had lots of fun making nature-themed necklaces and talking all about wildlife. Thank you to everyone who came to say hello, and a special thanks to the Rhiwbina eco team for hosting such a fabulous eco-themed event.

The My Wild Cardiff project is always looking to support groups or individuals looking to make the city a better place for nature and wildlife. If you’re looking for support, or wanting to host a session about nature, please do get in touch with our Wilder engagement officer Alex through his email; a.griffiths@welshwildlife.org.