Green Flag Award 2024

 

This year we achieved our 8^th Green Flag Community Award, an achievement we can all be proud of!

The Green Flag award is an international mark of a quality green space.

The award recognises that the site demonstrates good environmental practices, such as sustainable maintenance methods, biodiversity conservation efforts, and wildlife habitat creation.

The award also recognises the contribution of Nant Fawr to the physical and mental health of its visitors, providing a relaxing environment and opportunities for social interaction.

Nant Fawr is actively used and supported by our local community, with members regularly joining the monthly workdays and programme events, which is another criterion recognised by the award.

Our thanks go to our members and all who help to maintain this precious green space.

30th Anniversary Celebrations

7th July 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Friends of Nant Fawr Community Woodlands.

To celebrate we will (*) be holding an event to celebrate - so please come along if you can!

Date: Sunday 7 July 2024

Time: 11am - 3pm

Place: Meet at the old Reservoir Car Park, off

Rhydypenau Road. What3Words inspector.rots.survey (see map below).

Activities will include:

- Look at stream creatures through a microscope

- Learn about butterflies/moths/reptiles

- Learn about local environmental groups

- Guided walks around Nant Fawr area

- Follow our Explorer Trail

- Carry out a Scavenger Hunt

- Identify leaves

- Activities suitable for children between 5 - 12 years old

- Prizes to be won!

* In association with Cardiff Council, Welsh Water, Butterfly Conservation,Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Cardiff Naturalists, Friends of Cardiff Reservoirs and Keep Wales Tidy.

What’s been happening in Nant Fawr this year

21^st January 2024 – This workday was based at the Rhydyblewin end of Nant Fawr. Grass and bramble that had been cut previously was raked up off the meadows and piled to create habitat piles adjacent to the orchard areas. The cutting of this meadow along with the other meadows in Nant Fawr is part of the management plan for Nant Fawr, the aim of which is to regenerate the meadows and encourage the growth of wildflowers. On this workday the volunteers also constructed a drain across the stone path to reduce the effects of flooding in this area and to make the path more accessible.

 

25^th February 2024 – On this workday we focused on coppicing the willow saplings and raking the cut soft rush on Boggy Meadow, in preparation for the growing season. Using the cut willow whips the volunteers started to create a weaved fence/hurdle, that will enclose and protect the small pond in Boggy Meadow.

 

24^th March 2024 – The volunteers continued with the work in Boggy Meadow coppicing the willow and making willow and hazel hurdles to help protect the shallow pond. Work also started on upgrading the path adjacent to the old reservoir car park. A drainage ditch was created, and this work will be followed by levelling out the path, with the aim of reducing the flooding in that area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Invertebrates In Reservoir Outflow Into Nant Fawr Stream!

A very kind lecturer at Cardiff University shared this crude list of invertebrates present in the Nant Fawr stream within c 50-100m of reservoir outflow. Enjoy reading about some of the life that thrives here below, and see these photos of more lifeforms in Nant Fawr stream found in our recent family Stream Shuffle! 

Flatworms

Polycelis tenuis

 

Leeches

Glossiphonia (complanata?)

 

Gastropods

Ancylus fuviatilis

Potamopyrgus antipodarum (non-native)

Radix peregra

 

Crustaceans

Gammarus pulex

 

Stoneflies

Leuctra geniculata

Leuctra moselyi

At least 1 other

 

Mayflies

Seratella ignita

Baetis spp

Ephemera danica

Heptageniidae spp

 

Beetles:

>1 spp of Elminthidae  

Dytiscidae (probably Platambus maculatus)

 

Caddis

Rhyacophila sp (probably dorsalis)

Hydropsyche sp(p?)

Limnephilidae (Potamophylax/Stenophylax?

Glossosoma spp 

Sericostoma personatum

People’s Choice Award 2023 - please vote for your favourite Green Flag park or green space!

People across the UK are being encouraged to vote for their favourite Green Flag park or green space. A top ten will then be announced at a virtual award ceremony on 7 November 2023. 

We’d love to see some wonderful Welsh winners, so please start spreading the word and encouraging visitors, volunteers, friends, family and colleagues to vote for you! 

To vote 

1) Find your favourite park/green space on the winners’ map

(Or click here to vote for Nant Fawr Community Woodlands) 

2) Click on the ‘Vote for this site’ button

3) Share the link via email and social media 

 This year voting closes on the 30 September 2023.

Look what we found in the Nant Fawr stream on the Stream Shuffle!

We had a successful Stream Shuffle on Sunday in Rhydypenau Park. Children were able to catch creatures from the Nant Fawr stream and look at them under the microscope. 

Thank you to Cardiff University for their support.

FAMILY STREAM SHUFFLE - SUNDAY 6 AUGUST 2023 11.00am – 2.00pm

We are meeting at the bottom of Rhydypenau Park, near Rhydypenau Rd Bridge. 

• Learn about the creatures that live in the Nant Fawr stream.

• Use our new digital microscope! 

• Follow our Explorer Trail 

• Carry out a Scavenger Hunt 

• Prizes to be won! 

• Activities suitable for children between 5-12 years 

• All children must be accompanied by an adult and wellies are recommended. 

• Why not bring a picnic lunch? 

• Membership forms available (£5 per family per year)