Cwm Marteg Project - bringing wetlands back to life
This is an exciting 3 year Living Landscapes project which began in March 2010, based in the Marteg Valley just north of Rhayader, where our Gilfach and Cefn Cenarth nature reserves are situated. Radnorshire Wildlife Trust's project officer, Darylle Hardy, plans to work with the local community to find out more about wildlife in the valley and work towards enhancing and connecting wildlife habitats throughout the catchment.
The project has these particular key aims:
- Slimy and fishy: To work with the community to find out more about the less 'charismatic' species of the catchment - bullheads, lamprey, eels, mosses and lichens
- Furry flagships: To monitor water vole presence in the catchment and encourage the control of American mink
- Tickling trout: To work with landowners to promote environmentally-positive land management and functioning wetland ecosystems
- Wildlife schools: Workshops to enable all sorts of people in the Marteg Valley to understand more about their local wildlife and the environment
Find out more about the project by clicking on the 'projects' menu on the left.
Acknowledgements
The Cwm Marteg Project Officer has been kindly funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Oakdale Trust.
A grant was awarded in June 2011 by Environment Wales to enable the project to employ two experts to run a biodiversity day and two sessions aimed at farmers. We also purchased some equipment to help local people survey for wildlife in their neighbourhoods.
We were pleased to receive a grant in 2011 from St Harmon Community Council's Bryn Titli Fund to continue the Cwm Marteg newsletter, pay for hall hire and wildplay equipment for the project.
A small grant was received from Powys Environmental Partnership in 2010 to kickstart activities in the project including piloting a newsletter, village hall hire and basic equipment for wildlife survey work.
