Working with Nature

Project description:

The overall aim of the project is to build the capacity of volunteers and community groups to take a more active role in the management of our local sites, whilst fostering a greater understanding and connection with the natural environment.

What did the project achieve?

A volunteer network of 39 volunteers were signed up during the course of the project. Volunteers were given health and safety training as well as safe tool use training and set to work carrying out practical management of nature sites across the borough. This developed skills, knowledge and experience to move into the conservation sector. 

Both accredited and non-accredited training was completed with a range of participants, including tree identification, habitat management and safe tool use. These were open to volunteers and participants and increased the skills, knowledge and experience to gain employment.

A network of sites are being actively managed for nature conservation and community access    Project officers worked across 17 different sites over the course of the project. Some required more extensive work and support than others and had more time spent on them. However, multiple sites have improved drastically, both from an ecological perspective and a community use and access one. 

The Cwm du Glen and Glanrhyd Plantation Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in Pontardawe has seen huge improvements through the removal of invasive species and the installation of additional amenities, including a woodland classroom, additional footpaths and habitat improvements alongside a focus on historical importance of the site where volutneers and officers worked to highlight key aspects of the site, including excavating and fencing off Wales’ first outdoor swimming pool. 

Other sites had more basic work carried out, focused on improving the habitat or community access. Banwen meadows and woods, two sites situated at the top of the county gained a smaller woodland classroom and new footpath through the woods, with management of the tree growth in a valuable wet meadow.

What was the result of your project?  

Two leader themes were linked in the Stage 3 application: adding value to local identity and natural and cultural resources and exploring new ways of providing non-statutory local services. 

The first of these was achieved through engaging with local communities across NPT that focused on behaviour change through improving values and awareness as well as a belief that they can make a difference to the quality of their local environment.

Recreational, educational and practical events were held to provide a broad range of skills and experience and knowledge to communities that included ecological, historical and cultural events. Coupled with the improved access and amenities at sites, this objective was achieved. 

The second objective focused on looking at ways to increase capacity and interest of local groups to take more active roles in on-going maintenance of sites. This aspect was more challenging at sites where no groups currently existed. However, support of established groups was provided and has seen a step in the right direction in terms of taking on management of sites. The friends of Craig Gwladus was heavily involved in the early years of the project but the size of the site meant a new project and officer was engaged to support them beyond WWN. Numerous individuals have taken on more responsibility and report incidents and carry out minor improvement works when out visiting a site (trimming paths etc.) which reduces the needs for council officers to attend as regularly. 

The increased awareness and value of the sites utilised within the project has benefited the community and council greatly, allowing a more specific focus for sites and footpaths to ensure suitable areas are maintained for public use.

Who were the Project Beneficiaries?

In total, over 800 individuals were engaged over the course of the project and multiple groups and organisations. Schools who engaged benefited through increased awareness and ability to utilise outdoor spaces for education, while organisations who partnered with the project will likewise have benefited including local libraries, who partnered for children focused events.

The success of the project and the combination in health and wellbeing with ecology has been successful for the whole population of NPT as it highlights the effectiveness and potential for supporting resident health through use of nature activities and sites

What were the main lessons learns from the project?

Key issues we faced came predominantly in the form of creating a sustainable outcome for sites that previously didn’t have a community group linked with it. The creation of these groups proved impossible in the timeframe. However, a strong volunteer network of 39 volunteers allowed effective and successful management and improvement of all sites we engaged with.

In hindsight, a pre-determined selection of sites could have been focused on with set plans for them over the course of the project and more time and emphasis put on them, with a management strategy beyond the project the outcome, along with greater focus from communities for those sites. Working across 17 sites, while reaching more communities, meant that less time was spent at each. It could potentially benefit future projects to target 3-5 sites spread across the borough as ‘key sites’ for attracting users.