Wales Farmer 26 COUNTRYSIDE March 2013


LIGHT AND SHADE: The dense tree canopy favours mosses in Tycanol National Nature Reserve, while lichens prefer open light conditions.


Tree felling fears allayed By Farmer reporter


CONCERN about tree felling in aPembrokeshire woodland may be the root cause of avandalism


attack. Just twodaysinto anew man-


agement programme at the 170- acreTycanol woodland, national parkauthority wardens found the tyres slashed on their on-site safety vehicle.


■ Vandal attacks may be linkedtowoodland work


The Countryside Council for


Wales’swest region senior reservemanager,Paul Culyer, said: “It is understandablethere will be concerns about cutting down trees on this site and we want to reassureand explain to


people thatthereare very good reasons forre-introducing wood- land management after along period of inactivity. “The last major cutting took


place in the First WorldWar, when woodlands were felled for


the wareffort, butitisevident the woodlands have been regu- larly cut over thousands of years forfuel and building materials. “The canopyoftrees has


the


become so dense thataction is required to graduallyreopen lost glades and thin the canopyto allowmorelight to reach the rocks and tree trunks.” Tycanol, which is owned by PembrokeshireCoast


National Park Authority and managed by the Countryside


Council forWales,isone of six Welsh wood pasturesites of international


importance,


because of its rich and diverse lichens. Woodland


officer Celia


Thomas said: “Morethan 400 species of lichen occur in Tycanol, growing on the rocks andtrees andfavouring open lightconditionsthatare rapidly being lost due to the increased coveroftrees since the 1940s. “The lichens thrive in open,


Volunteers turn over new leaf to help bats


light, moist and clean air condi- tions and arethreatened by the dense tree canopy, which favours mosses and not the lichens for which the site is designated as a site of special scientific interest, national naturereserveand a special area of conservation.” As part of the newmanage-


ment programme,felling will takeplace over twotothree weeks each winter and benefits will be assessed beforethe next season in the summer.


£600,000 to grow your own


AGRANT of £600,000 will makemoreland availabletohelp Welsh communities grow their ownfood. The Community


Land


Advisory Service (CLAS) in Wales has been launched thanks to the grant from the Big Lottery Fund to help tackle the shortage of availableland forcommunity gardening. The cash will fund afive-year


ABAND of volunteers turned over anew leaf in the newyear by helping to plant trees in Brecon Beacons National Park. Around 40 helpers met at Gilestone Farm


in Talybont-on-Usk to plant trees as part of the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s‘Our Beacon forBats’ project and the park authority’s ‘big volunteer newyear’. Gilestone Farm sits between twomajor


roost sites forlesser horseshoe bats, man- aged by the Vincent Wildlife Trust. The goal forthe volunteers wastoplant


3,000 mixed native broadleaved trees to enhance the habitat of the bats and other wildlife. Park authority volunteer co-ordinator


Huw Price said: “We’re really pleased that so manypeople turned up to lend ahand to


this tree planting project. Without the sup- port of hardworking and dedicated volun- teers and partner organisations, projects like this would not be possible.” Geraint Hopkins, deputy chairman of


the authority,added: “The time and hard work donated by volunteers really helps make this national park tick –somuch so that our volunteers provide more than 780


man hours ayear to help good causes like this one.” The ‘Our Beacon forBats’ project was


funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Brecon Beacons Trust and Environment Agency Wales. Anyone interested in volunteering can


contact Huw Price on 07854 997554 or email huw.price@breconbeacons.org.


Dismay at beautyspot turbines


OBJECTORS have reacted with dismaytothe approval of plans forawind farmatapopular beauty spot outside Swansea. The city council’splanning committee narrowly approved an application by RWEnpower renewables for16wind turbines on MynyddyGwair common, eight miles north of Swansea, despite ahost of objections. Kate Ashbrook, general secre-


tary of the Open Spaces Society said: “Weare horrified thatthe council has approved such a damaging development on a prominent local beauty spot. MynyddyGwair givespleasure to numerous walkers and riders, with its open access and fine views. “However,all is not yetlost.


Because the land is common, RWEnpowerwill have to obtain


the additional consent of the Welsh Government forworks on the common and maybe required to provide suitableland in exchange forthattobetaken. “Thatmay proveimpossible


as nothing can compensate for the beautiful land to be destroyed.” Meanwhile,the society has


also objected to plans forawind turbine at Garth Uchaf Farm,


Pentrych, Cardiff, next to an ‘unspoilt’ common. Kate Ashbrook said: “This is


an extensive,breezy open space, wherepeople have the right to walk and horse-riders enjoyper- missive access. “It is much enjoyedbythe


localpopulationand visitors.Itis amagnificent stretch of unspoilt countryside rising out of the urban valleys.The turbine would


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be extremelyvisible from here.” At 307 metres,Garth Hill is


the highest point in the county and is celebrated by the council in aspecial leaflet. “It would be ironic if Cardiff


Council wastopermit aplan- ning application which would have adamaging effect on peo- ple’senjoyment of this magnifi- cent


asset,”added Kate Ashbrook.


project, providing specialist guid- ance and support to around 250 community food growing projects and 100 landowners,and the CLAS aims to help establish 75 newprojects across Wales. The CLAS is managed by the


Federation of City Farmsand Community Gardens (FCFCG), which will recruit ateam of three specialists to give hands-on advice and support to community groups and landowners. Katie Jones,development man-


ager forFCFCG’sWelsh pro- gramme Tyfu Pobl,said: “Accessing land forcommunity growing is amajor hurdle for manyWelsh communities. “CLAS will act as acatalyst for


both community groups and will- ing landowners to find the sup- port they need to bring moreland into cultivation. “This will increase and engage


morepeople in the production of local food in Wales,helping to reduce our impact on the climate and contributing to the creation of moresustainableand resilient communities.” Forinformation on Tyfu Pobl


go to www.tyfupobl.org.uk and forCLAS visit www.community landadvice.org.uk.


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