Work Days

The volunteers meet once a month on a Sunday morning between 10.00am - 12.00 noon, with the Community Ranger, Kevin Date.

Under his guidance, we help to manage and maintain the site, through varying tasks. All are welcome, there are tasks to suit all abilities. Students undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh or Welsh Baccalaureate Community awards are welcome.

Please see the calendar for the latest details of workdays and other events (the calendar can also be shared, nantfawrcommunity@gmail.com). The events planned for 2023 are also shown below, but please check for posts near the time or the calendar for information about the meeting point and activities planned.

In the winter, we tackle the hedges and undergrowth (before the nesting season begins); we also work on the drainage channels beside the paths, to prevent them from being flooded. We celebrate the end of the year with mince pies and mulled wine in December!

In the spring, we help to maintain the paths before the vegetation really starts to grow again. Sometimes we lay alder matting and wood chips  to improve the paths;  We also sow wildflower seeds in suitable areas and sometimes we plant new plants in appropriate places.

In the summer its a question of continuing to cut back from the paths, possibly painting the wooden structures such as the kissing gates and fences. We also plant new trees occasionally. At the end of summer we hold a hay rake in the meadows beside Cardiff High School. This is to allow the wild flowers to flourish in the meadows. This is usually a popular occasion and we celebrate the collecting of the hay with cider and welsh cakes.

In the autumn we attempt to weaken the bracken which encroaches on some areas, by bracken bashing.  We prune the fruit trees in our orchards and  do what we can to tidy up the site for the winter. We also undertake litter picks and stream clearing from time to time.

More information on where to meet and so on will be published on the website and the noticeboards nearer the time, and the calendar will be kept up to date.

Programme of Events for 2023   

 

22nd January

Workday

19th February

Workday

26th March

Workday

20th April

7.30pm Christchurch Hall

Annual General Meeting

23rd April

Workday

21st May *

Deep Time Journey Walk

28th May

Workday

25th June

Workday

16th July

2.00pm - 3.30 pm   

Meet at the Reservoir Car Park  

Human Influences in Nature

Guided Walk

30th July

Workday

6th August*

Family Fun Day

27th August

Workday

24th September

Workday

29th October

Workday

19th November

Workday

17th December

Workday

* Time and meeting location to be confirmed closer to the date


Location 

Please check the calendar for confirmation but the meeting point for work days is almost always the Reservoir Car Park (off Rhyd y Penau Road, with the entrance between houses 127 and 129) or Heol Esgyn Bridge (close to Cardiff High School).


Reservoir car park - Google Maps link

Heol Esgyn Bridge - Google Maps link




The map here provides the names of some of the local areas, often referred to (eg "Boggy meadow" etc).