We’ve added a new area of land to our lease holding at RSPB Lake Vyrnwy in Wales and have exciting plans to restore it, to help tackle climate change and make the reserve an even better place for wildlife.
In November 2022, we added another piece of land from Natural Resources Wales to our lease holding at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys, bringing the area we manage to just over 2,000 hectares. The new area, which is made up of forested deep peat, is known as Bryn Fawnog.
With the help of local contractors, we plan to restore this land back to healthy blanket bog, which is vital in the fight against climate change, as it locks carbon into the land rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. It also helps to alleviate flooding, by absorbing excess water and then releasing it gradually.
Blanket bog provides a home for an array of wildlife too, including Merlins and Hen Harriers, as well as sphagnum mosses and colourful, carnivorous sundew plants.
Combined, the bogs at Lake Vyrnwy are estimated to contain enough peat to fill Cardiff’s Principality Stadium from pitch to rooftop more than 22 times, storing carbon equivalent to nearly half of Wales’ annual carbon footprint!
Lake Vyrnwy is one of the most important wildlife sites in Wales and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a National Nature Reserve (NNR).
From restoring rainforests to protecting Bee-eaters, download our Annual Report for an in-depth look at our work.
