In short
- The National Trust is leading a £1m project to restore and protect 4,040 acres of habitat in Nant Ffrancon, a valley in Eryri National Park in Wales.
- The project is funded by nearly £1m from the Nature Networks Fund, delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
- Seven tufted saxifrage plants were recorded in Cwm Idwal at the start of the year, and only three survived this year’s drought.
- Simon Rogers of the National Trust said Nant Ffrancon has species on the brink of extinction and that the valley is in a nature emergency.
- The project will work with local communities, tenant farmers and volunteers, and will monitor species including the woodcock, otter, aspen and juniper.
The National Trust is leading a £1m project to restore 4,040 acres of habitat in Nant Ffrancon, a valley in Eryri National Park in Wales, after experts warned that species including the ring ouzel bird and the arctic alpine flower tufted saxifrage are at risk of vanishing there.
What is happening in Nant Ffrancon?
The National Trust said Nant Ffrancon, a valley in Eryri National Park – also known as Snowdonia – is facing “serious ecological decline”, with some species in danger of disappearing altogether. The trust named the mountain blackbird and the mountain finch among those at risk. The project will work with local communities, tenant farmers and volunteers to restore and protect 4,040 acres of habitat, from the peaks of Cwm Idwal to the valleys of Dyffryn Ogwen.
Which species are at risk of vanishing from Eryri?
Simon Rogers, from the National Trust, said: “We’re in a very serious situation – we’re in a nature emergency. There are so many species in this valley which are on the brink of extinction.” Mr Rogers said the project would look particularly at the ring ouzel, a red-listed bird. “It’s been in decline massively in the area and across the whole country, and this is one of the last strongholds for it,” he said.
How many tufted saxifrage plants are left in Cwm Idwal?
Simon Rogers of the National Trust said seven tufted saxifrage plants, an arctic alpine flower, were recorded in Cwm Idwal at the start of the year and that only three survived this year’s drought. “That’s three through the whole of Wales, so they’re at a very real risk of extinction if we don’t do something about it,” he said. The drought occurred in a year when the Atlantic neared a record as El Niño blocked hurricane formation.
Who is funding the Eryri habitat restoration?
The project is being funded by nearly £1m from the Nature Networks Fund, delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales. A second scheme, Tlysau Mynydd Eryri (Mountain Jewels of Eryri), is part of a conservation partnership led by Plantlife Cymru to protect some of Wales’ rarest alpine plants.
How will the restoration work be monitored?
Ecological surveys and regular monitoring will map the impact of the work, using species such as the woodcock and otter, and plants including aspen and juniper, to indicate the health of the valley. The project also builds on the use of GPS livestock collars to manage grazing more precisely. Rhys Wheldon-Roberts, Cwm Idwal Partnership Officer, said monitoring was “really important because it allows us to graze in the right areas at the right densities and at the right time”.
Can local people get involved?
“There are opportunities for people to get involved in monitoring, in volunteering, just learning about the landscape in general,” said Rhys Wheldon-Roberts, Cwm Idwal Partnership Officer. He said Cwm Idwal receives many school visits each year, where pupils will be able to see the effect of the cattle’s conservation grazing. Simon Rogers, from the National Trust, said the project aimed to “set a foundation for the future”. “Some things will change in the next three years, but what we’re doing is setting ourselves up so that recovery can continue for decades afterwards,” he said.
Frequently asked questions
What is happening in Nant Ffrancon in Eryri National Park?
The National Trust is leading a £1m project to restore and protect 4,040 acres of habitat in the valley, working with local communities, tenant farmers and volunteers.
Which species are at risk in Nant Ffrancon?
The National Trust has warned that species including the ring ouzel, the mountain blackbird, the mountain finch and the arctic alpine plant tufted saxifrage are in danger of disappearing from the valley.
Who is funding the Eryri habitat restoration project?
Nearly £1m comes from the Nature Networks Fund, delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
How many tufted saxifrage plants are left in Cwm Idwal?
Seven were recorded at the start of the year and only three survived this year’s drought, all of them in Cwm Idwal.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. An upland valley – geograph.org.uk – 2491817 — Peter Barr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)