An important part of our work to revitalise the Dyfi Biosphere, supported by Welsh Government and by UNESCO UK, has been to welcome the new communities that joined in recent years. Among these is Faenor Community Council on the outskirts of Aberystwyth, better known as Waunfawr and Comins Coch.
The two villages were recently connected by a path for walking and cycling (part of the government's 'Active Travel' scheme). Last month we used the path as a teaching space for children from Ysgol Comins Coch, having them pretend to be UNESCO officials and see what qualified the area as a Biosphere.
"We prompted them with a worksheet that asked them to look for places where people live and work, habitats and sources of food for wildlife and for people. They also spotted energy sources like wind turbines and considered how the new shared use path would benefit the local people and the whole biosphere," said Fiona Moran from the Ceredigion Local Nature Partnership.
"On the return journey we talked about monitoring nature using random sampling to estimate the biodiversity of plant species along the path. Finally back at school we investigated the biodiversity in the school grounds, using minibeast hunting and quadrat sampling on the field. We also talked about land use and tasted some locally produced honey, milk and fruit."
The following day, Waunfawr resident and storyteller Milly Jackdaw led ‘Wonderful Waunfawr Wildlife’, an event for all ages at Waunfawr Community Hall which was attended by about 25 people, from toddlers to elders. The Ceredigion Local Nature Partnership was present at this event too, holding a surgery for residents, while Carys May of the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre led a wildlife safari in the neighbourhood.
That was followed by tea and cake, a nature quiz with apple trees as prizes, a plant swap and nature-related storytelling from Milly. For her, bringing the community together was the starting point.
“Waunfawr has a lot of elderly residents, many of whom live alone, so opportunities to meet others in the local area are real treasure,” she explained. “It was also a great opportunity to let people know about the work that is being done for wildlife in the area and to inspire interest and involvement. I loved the fact that there were people of all ages and there was something for all to enjoy.”
She plans to make more connections with other residents, and promote wildlife discussions, when the Hall starts regular Friday afternoon socials in September.
For Rachel Auckland of the Nature Partnership meanwhile the event had professional benefits, allowing her to connect with local community leaders and discuss the state of wildlife in the area.
“It’s so important for us to show that Town and Community Councils, village hall committees and so forth can come to us for advice about their duty to care for biodiversity, and we can let them know about funding opportunities.
“This was the first time I’d had a chance to have a proper look at the Introduction to Wildlife Identification which is being developed for Ceredigion Local Nature Partnership by the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre and it’s great to see it in action, raising awareness of the precious species and habitats people have on their doorsteps.”
Creating spaces where people can connect with each other and the natural world is central to the Biosphere’s role. These two events drew on Ceredigion networks, but the Biosphere is also linked with networks in Powys and Gwynedd, as well as other Biospheres around the UK and globally. Sharing that learning, we can build stronger links between people and the places where they live.
These activities were funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.
Great to see people getting involved!