Landmark acquisition creates a connected landscape for wildlife at RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas nature reserve.
5 min read
On Wales Nature Week, we’re celebrating the successful purchase of Gallt-y-bere, a 96-hectare area of diverse habitats in the Elenydd in mid Wales. Gallt-y-bere is a wildlife-rich gem, home to internationally important habitats and rare species, from rare Atlantic oak woodland, also known as Celtic rainforest, to ffridd and peat bogs. It is also a stronghold for Pied Flycatchers, a summer migrant that thrives in oak woodland, as well as a wealth of other wildlife, including Cuckoos, Wood Warblers, Pine Martens and Whinchats.
We have been active at Gwenffrwd-Dinas for more than a century, first by supporting the Kite Committee in its efforts to protect Red Kites, and later by purchasing two areas of land, Gwenffrwd and Dinas, to create the RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas nature reserve. Gallt-y-bere lies between these two areas and, for the first time in almost 60 years, we are able to protect the site as one connected landscape.
Bringing Gallt-y-bere into conservation management will deliver significant benefits for wildlife by improving habitat connectivity across the reserve and creating new links between existing habitats.
We were able to secure this remarkable site through a generous philanthropic loan, followed by a public fundraising appeal. We’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the appeal. Thanks to your support, we are now in a position to reconnect and protect this precious landscape. Further donations will help support the long-term management of RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas nature reserve for years to come.
Jonathan Cryer, Site Manager at RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas, said:
Gallt-y-bere is a truly magical place, and I’m thrilled that we’re now in a position to restore and enhance its rare habitats for wildlife. Securing this site is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen ancient woodland, restore upland habitats and create the conditions needed for rare species such as Hen Harriers to flourish in the future. None of this would have been possible without the generous support of our philanthropic donors and the incredible backing of everyone who contributed to the fundraising appeal."
The expanded reserve will create exciting opportunities for the recovery of woodland and upland wildlife. By linking the newly acquired land with existing heathland habitats, the reserve now contains a sufficiently large area to support breeding Hen Harriers. Although this red-listed bird is occasionally seen in the area, there have been no recent breeding attempts.
Surveys taking place this summer, funded by Natural Resources Wales, will help identify the full range of habitats and species present across the newly acquired land and inform future management. Existing species-rich grasslands may also be expanded and enhanced, providing greater resilience for important plants and wildlife, including Whorled Caraway and Wood Bitter-vetch.
The purchase also creates opportunities to work closely with local farming tenants to demonstrate how nature recovery and sustainable farming can successfully go hand in hand across the wider landscape.
A woodland that teems with wildlife awaits visitors to Gwenffrwd-Dinas – see Pied Flycatchers and carpets of bright Bluebells mixed with velvety green lichen.
