Our vision for the Meirionnydd Oakwoods priority landscape

Our vision for the Meirionnydd Oakwoods comprises of a rich woodland landscape, with veteran oaks dripping with bryophytes and lichens.  

Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Lesser Horseshoe Bats breed in and around the woodlands, while grazing animals roam beneath. In amongst the trees people have access to explore and enjoy the richness of this landscape. 

The Meirionnydd (merry-on-ith) Oakwoods are predominantly composed of Atlantic oakwood and temperate rainforest habitats interspersed with grazing pasture, ffridd and plantation woodland. Enclosed by the Cadair Idris and Rhinogydd mountain ranges, the landscape is characterised by steep sided valleys where woodlands meet the rivers and estuary. 

The Meirionnydd Oakwoods span from the Mawddach estuary in the south of Eryri National Park to the foothills of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in the north. We’re focusing our conservation efforts on the woodlands, which cover the Mawddach estuary catchment. 

The area includes Meirionnydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and other Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The landscape also lies almost entirely within Eryri National Park. 

The Meirionnydd Oakwoods are one of the best examples of Atlantic oakwood and temperate rainforest habitats in Wales. The landscape holds nationally important populations of Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Hawfinches. It also holds globally important populations of bryophytes and lichens.  

The wooded habitats provide crucial benefits such as carbon storage, nitrogen fixation, purifying air, flood and drought mitigation and health & wellbeing benefits to the people who visit and spend time here. The woodlands also provide extensive areas for recreation such as mountain biking, hiking and running. 

The oakwoods are a stronghold for temperate rainforest species including Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers, as well as rainforest lichens such as the lobarion community. 

The Mawddach is also one of only a handful of sites where Hawfinches are present. They breed, roost and feed throughout the valley, preferring mature conifers and beech, Wych Elm and Cherry trees. The landscape is a rich mosaic of coastal oakwood, temperate rainforest, mature wood pasture, ffridd and upland habitats. 

1. Maintain, restore, enhance and expand the broadleaved woodland across the Meirionnydd landscape. 

2. Develop effective partnerships including NGOs, public bodies and private landowners and managers. 

3. Ensuring RSPB Cymru priority species are secured and increased within the landscape. 

4. Connecting communities with woodlands through engagement events and volunteering. 

• RSPB Cymru is involved in The Alliance for Wales’ Rainforests (AWR): a group of organisations dedicated to safeguarding these precious habitats. Through collaboration, we work to highlight the ecological, environmental, and cultural importance of Wales’ rainforests and champion their positive management and recovery into the future. 
• Celtic Rainforests LIFE project: this £9m landscape-scale rainforest project, led by Eryri National Park Authority, in partnership with Coed Cadw and RSPB Cymru, is the biggest rainforest restoration programme of its kind in the UK. Running from 2018 to 2027, the project focuses on protecting four temperate rainforest Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) across Wales from three major threats: invasive non-native species (INNS), inappropriate grazing and browsing and ancient woodland restoration. 
• National Forest Landscape Scheme: Coetiroedd Mawddach – Sustainable Stewardship in the Mawddach catchment. An exemplar project developing a catchment scale woodland management plan with multiple partners to help restore, connect and expand our woodlands for nature and people. November 2025 – March 2027.  
• Managing four RSPB Cymru Mawddach Valley nature reserves which cover 135ha, comprising oak woodlands and lowland bog. 

We’re working with the following organisations in the Mawddach area: Arloesi Dolgellau, Coed cadw, Cofnod, Eryri National Park, Llais y Goedwig, National Trust, Plantlife, Natural Resources Wales and Snowdonia Society. 

The following RSPB nature reserves form part of the Meirionnydd Oakwoods priority landscape:

Mawddach Valley, Arthog Bog Nature Reserve, Dolgellau - The RSPB

Mawddach Valley, Coed Garth Gell Nature Reserve

Abergwynant Y Gribin and Y Waen 

Coed y Parc, Dolgellau