Enjoying the wild with the Trust


This year a much-loved and valuable wildlife organisation is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Monmouthshire County Life, along with the South Wales Argus and Free Press series of papers, is joining forces with the Gwent Wildlife Trust to help raise awareness and-much needed funds throughout this special anniversary year. We will be bringing regular updates throughout the year and helping launch some fabulous fundraising ideas but here is an introduction as to why this group is so special.


I


t was back in 1963 that a small group of dedicated and determined local naturalists stood together to buy a valuable piece of


wetland on the Gwent Levels to save it from development. That group became the Monmouthshire


Naturalists Society, which became the Gwent Wildlife Trust. The land is now a central part of the


group’s flagship 36 hectare Magor Marsh nature reserve, which in turn is one of 29 nature reserves that the trust manages across Gwent. That small band of passionate


conservationists has now grown to be the leading wildlife conservation charity in south east Wales with more than 10,000 members and 400 volunteers. Its dedicated 24 staff work hard to


address their vision - an environment rich in wildlife for everyone in Gwent. Over the years the trust has bought some wonderful wildlife areas from the wildflower


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meadows at Pentwyn Farm, Penallt, to woodlands full of dormice at Croes Robert, near Trellech. The nature reserves are open for all to visit and enjoy. The trust’s work to inspire future


generations has gone from strength to strength especially. In 2003 the Education Centre at Magor


Marsh opened and now more than 2,000 school children enjoy the wonderful wetland wildlife to be found within this nature reserve every year. But this group is also a serious


campaigning organisation working to protect wildlife from damaging developments. Gwent Wildlife Trust was at the forefront


of the successful campaign to stop the building of the M4 Relief road being built across the nationally important Gwent Levels and for more sustainable solutions to be found for the traffic problems experienced in this area.


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