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Wales Biodiversity Week

@ Brecon Beacons National Park Brecon Beacons National Park

Wales Biodiversity Week

Wales Biodiversity Week aims to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the consequences of its loss. To celebrate the week, which is part of the International Year for Biodiversity 2010, we have coordinated a series of wild and wonderful walks with a range of organisations such as the Countryside Council for Wales, the National Trust and local wildlife groups. See the Wales Biodiversity Week listings below for further details.

Sunday 6 June Wildlife on Your Doorstep 14:00-16:30 Family Friendly Guided Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week. Geopark Event Come and explore the wildlife of Brecon on this gentle 2 mile wander around town. Discover the wide variety of species that have made their home moments from the hustle and bustle of busy streets on this fun and fascinating town safari! Length, Grade & Ascent: 2m/3.2km, Easy Meet: Canal Basin, Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Small charge for parking. Leader: National Park Biodiversity Officer, Gareth Ellis.

Monday 7 June Hunting Dragons and Dainty Damsels 18.00-19.30 Family Friendly Guided Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week. Geopark Event. Mynydd Illtud Common is home to more than a dozen species of dragon - and damselflies. Join us for an easy stroll around the common to hunt for hawkers, darters and chasers and learn more about these ancient insects. Their ancestors were flying around South Wales when the coal formed! Length & Grade: 1.5m / 2.5km, Easy. Meet: NPVC car park, by cattle grid (SN 978263). Car parking charges apply. Leader: National Park Biodiversity Officer, Gareth Ellis. Please phone us on 01874 623366 for more details and to let us know you are coming to help us give you a safe and enjoyable experience. Tuesday 8 June A Wild and Wooded Valley 13.30-16:00 Guided Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week. Geopark Event. Provided by the National Trust Discover the hidden treasures of the stunning Upper Tarell Valley, set between the Central Beacons and Fforest Fawr. Join the National Trust wardens on this delightful circular walk though ancient woodland, stroll along the Tarell river and its many feeder streams and see a myriad of plants and animals that inhabit this remote and unspoilt landscape. With two farms and two woodlands, owned and managed by the National Trust, the area is a haven for wildlife and the perfect setting for this fascinating walk. Refreshments and cake await at the end of the walk. Donations greatly appreciated. These will go towards funding NT work in Mid & SE Wales. No dogs please. Length, Grade and Ascent: 3.5 miles / 5.5 kms, Moderate, 50-100m Meet: Meet at National Trust Basecamp, Dan y Gyrn, Libanus, Brecon, Powys, LD3 8NF. Parking available in yard. Turn off A470 opposite the turning to Defynnog (A4215). Dan-y-Gyrn is another two miles on (at the cottages go straight on, following the `No Through Road' sign). Do not turn into the farm yard at Blaenglyn Farm but carry on for a further 20 yards and bear right down the track into the yard of Dan-y-Gyrn (SO 977 228). Leader: National Trust Warden (Estate and Conservation Management) Amie Angell and Head Warden Joe Daggett. Please phone us on 01874 623366 for more details and to let us know you are coming to help us give you a safe and enjoyable experience.

Wednesday 9 June Woodland and a Waterfall: a walk through the beechwoods of Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve 18:30-20:30 Guided Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week Provided by Countryside Council for Wales. Enjoy a walk through one of the largest stands of native beech woodland to survive in south east Wales. Situated in a deep limestone gorge with tumbling waterfalls and interspersed with open farmland, this special environment supports a number of rare plants, diverse fungi and moss species, and a variety of birds and butterflies. Come along and see why this area has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and learn about the management of this rich and varied habitat. Bring refreshments if required. Length, Grade and Ascent: 3miles/5km, Moderate, 50m. Meet: Clydach picnic site, just south of the A465 on the road to Clydach South between Abergavenny and Brynmawr (SO 230134). Leader: CCW Regional Reserve Manager, Richard Preece Please phone us on 01874 623366 for more details and to let us know you are coming to help us give you a safe and enjoyable experience. Thursday 10 June Meadow Jewels and Marsh Treasures 13.30-16:00. Donations greatly appreciated. These will go towards funding NT work in Mid & SE Wales). Family Friendly Guided Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week. Geopark Event. Provided by the National Trust. Come and join National Trust Wardens for a fascinating and fun exploration of Berthlwyd Farm. Wander through stunning flower-filled hay meadows (some of the most important that the National Trust has in its care), meander through marshland and amble through woodland and heath. The farm boasts a wealth of complex and rich habitats, as well as important vernacular buildings and is the result of five generations of family-led farm enterprise coupled with a passion for conservation. Complimentary refreshments and cake await at the end of this lovely walk. Donations greatly appreciated. These will go towards funding NT work in Mid & SE Wales). Suitable for families, although not suitable for pushchairs. Donations greatly appreciated. These will go towards funding NT work in Mid & SE Wales. Length, Grade & Ascent: 1.5 miles/2 kms, Easy, 50-100m Meet: National Trust Berthlwyd Farm, Ystradfellte (SO 903133). From Pontneddfechan follow signs to Ystradfellte. After approx 2-3 miles, take L turning signed “Nedd Valley”. The farm is approx 1 mile along this lane, immediately adjacent to the road. Parking available on and adjacent to the farm. Leader: National Trust Head Warden Joe Daggett and Warden (Estate and Conservation Management) Amie Angell. Please phone us on 01874 623366 for more details and to let us know you are coming to help us give you a safe and enjoyable experience. Friday 11 June Wet Flushes and Wildflowers: a stroll through the fields of Cwm Cadlan National Nature Reserve 18.30-20.00 Guided Family Friendly Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week Provided by Countryside Council for Wales. Come and explore the largest stretch of fen meadows in Wales, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Pastures and marshy grassland form a species-rich environment; home to an extraordinary variety of wildflowers and vegetation. Encounter limestone flushes luxuriously carpeted with mosses and liverworts, discover flower-filled meadows and learn about the diverse wildlife that this remarkable habitat supports on this lovely circular walk. Wellies advised. Family friendly but unsuitable for pushchairs. No dogs please (cattle on site). Bring refreshments if required. Length, Grade and Ascent: 2miles / 3km, Easy, 20m. Meet: Reserve entrance 0.75m (1.2km) down Cwm Cadlan Road from Penderyn, near Hirwaun (SN 954098). Leader: CCW Reserves Manager Jon Wohlgemuth

Saturday 12 June Earth Walk around Pwll y Wrach Nature Reserve 10.30-12:30 Family Friendly Guided Walk for Wales Biodiversity Week Provided by Brecknock Wildlife Trust Experience a light refreshing touch of the natural world using all your senses on this gentle circular walk with a difference along the banks of the River Ennig through ancient woodland to a tumbling waterfall. Length, Grade and Ascent: 1.5 miles/2 kms, Easy, 20m Meet: Pwll y Wrach Nature Reserve car park, on Hospital Road, a mile south east out of Talgarth. Parking is quite limited but there is more space to park back down the lane towards Talgarth or in Talgarth itself. 1 mile walk up to the nature reserve (SO 161 328). Leader: Phil Sutton, BWT Reserves Officer and National Park Warden, Howard Morgan Please phone 01874 625708 for more details and to let us know you are coming to help us give you a safe and enjoyable experience

Sunday 13 June Llanthony Court Farm 10:30-6:00 (last entry 15:00) An Open Farm Sunday Event and a Wales Biodiversity Week Event Walk amongst calves, lambs, and foals in the spectacular landscape that surrounds the ruins of Llanthony Priory, nestled deep within the tranquil Llanthony Valley. Celebrating Open Farm Sunday, this event will give a fascinating insight into how Court Farm combines traditional hill farming with landscape management, biodiversity, and the visiting public. Meet the farmer and his family and take a tour of the farm, which also offers pony trekking, accommodation, and sells its own beef and lamb. Discuss the farm's future opportunities for balancing food production, carbon storage, alternative energy production and water conservation and meet National Park staff who will talk about their work with farmers in the area and the important contribution that hill farming makes towards the management of this special landscape. Finish your visit with a delicious, home-reared lamb or beef burger on this fun and informative day out for all the family! Leaders: Colin Passmore, National Park Warden Clive Williams and National Park BiodiversityOfficer, Gareth Ellis. For further information, please see website link Meet: Llanthony Priory (SO 288278).

Brecon Beacons National Park