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Biodiversity is blossoming with the help of a local group who are developing a wild meadow habitat in the St Davids area.
With the help of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, 13 members of a local Care in the Community group have celebrated their achievements towards their third John Muir Award in a presentation at Oriel y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre this week.
Residents and staff from St Davids Care in the Community celebrate the first year of a two-year John Muir Conserve Award. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority Ranger Ian Meopham, Director of Delivery and Discovery James Parkin and Voluntary Warden Liz Taylor (Project Co-ordinator). Also attending were Andrew Tuddenham and Stephen Merrill (National Trust) and Pembrokeshire College Tutor Kate Williams.
For this John Muir Conserve Award, the group is also getting support from the National Trust and, in addition, is closely involved with Pembrokeshire College Health Care students, who join in with every activity.
National Park Authority Ranger Ian Meopham said: “This group has gone from strength to strength in what they’ve achieved in their third year of conservation activities. This is their biggest project to date and it has seen them acquiring the skills to make paths, steps and fences, as well as undertaking clearance work to help with conservation.
“For their Share day, the group worked closely with Pembrokeshire College students to deliver a fantastic presentation which described the four main award challenges within their project of discovering, exploring, conserving and sharing. They described their work on coastal heathland, woodland and their efforts to create a wild meadow from scratch."
The group have worked on a field that was previously 100% grass with low biodiversity, planted seeds provided by the National Trust sourced from their meadow in Maidenhall and used sheep to manage the area. In a year’s time the group are hoping to see a thriving meadow supporting much higher biodiversity.
The group have also continued their work in Prendergast Woods in Solva with National Park Authority staff, and on coastal heathland at Abermawr and other areas with the National Trust.
Voluntary Warden and project co-ordinator Liz Taylor added: “The involvement of the Pembrokeshire College Health Care students with the Care in the Community group has been of huge benefit, with students gaining practical caring skills and learning together about conservation in the National Park area. It’s been such a success we hope to continue to liaise with Pembrokeshire College students next year to complete this Award.”
Published 15 June 2012
