The Usk to Wye Campaign

In March 2009 The Woodland Trust and its partners Gwent Wildlife Trust and Monmouthshire Environment Partnership Board organised a conference at Caer Llan near Trellech to create an exciting and ambitious new initiative to link up natural habitats across the area. 

The initiative will involve local people from all walks of life; business, farming, landowners, charities and public bodies in working together across the landscape helping wildlife to adapt to climate change, making the area more attractive for visitors and offering opportunities for farmers and landowners to diversify their businesses.

Do you want to be involved in this exciting project?  Please contact us and we will keep you informed of future developments. 

PLEASE NOTE The tree planting at Gwent Wildlife Trust's Wyeswood Common Reserve on Sunday 21st Feb has been cancelled due to the snow.
 

• In 2007 the Wentwood Forest was purchased by the Woodland Trust following a successful public appeal for funds.
• In 2008 Gwent Wildlife Trust bought an area of improved pastureland at Wyeswood near Penallt, next to its own flower rich meadows at Pentwyn Farm.  Sympathetic management of this area could turn back the clock and create a much larger, interconnected area of meadows, copses and heath.
• The Gwent Grasslands Initiative, completed in 2008 has identified a large number of unimproved small flower rich meadows in the area and provided management advice to around 700 landowners.
• There has been a long standing desire by both organisations to develop habitat networks in eastern Monmouthshire, which will benefit wildlife and the landscape of this area.  The idea behind the campaign is to create a Living Landscape that will not only be good for wildlife, but which will be more closely connected to the lives of the people who live and work here.

The conference was attended by over 50 enthusiastic local stakeholders, who shared their ideas and information.  Dr George Peterken OBE spoke of the need to connect landscape features together to maximise benefits for wildlife and provide corridors for different species to move from one area to another to ensure their survival in an increasingly disconnected natural world. 

Mr Mike Townsend OBE talked of the importance of the landscape to people, the economic importance of it to those who work the land and the sense of well being that it provides to those who live in it and spend time in it.  An important part of the campaign will be ensuring that the local population feels a closer connection with the natural world.  This will encourage landowners, householders, gardeners and communities to increasingly take the lead in helping to develop a landscape that is good for wildlife and good for people as we all adapt to climate change. 

The conference delegates were inspired by a local landowner and a conservationist who have begun this work - restoring a smallholding to benefit wildlife that has created a perfect 'back to nature' camping experience for guests, and a conservationist who has over a period of years linked isolated patches of woodland together with hedgerows to create good extensive habitat for the threatened local dormouse population.  The full proceedings from the conference can be downloaded here.

The Usk to Wye campaign is a long term initiative, and will take many years to achieve.  It will be essential for local communities - landowners, homeowners, schools and community groups to be involved and to find different ways to contribute to the campaign.  A broadly based partnership is being developed to move the campaign forward, led by the Woodland Trust and Gwent Wildlife Trust.  The vision for the future of this area is of a well wooded landscape rich in meadows, orchards, hedgerows, restored forest and heath.  This landscape will be good for people as well as wildlife, providing a rich array of resources that we need and value.

Do you want to be involved in this exciting project?  Please contact us and we will keep you informed of future developments. 

To find out more about our work or to make a donation, visit our web site www.coedcadw.org.uk

To return to the Coed Cadw GreenWeb page, click here.

Contact details:

Phone 08452 935 735

Email annaheslop@woodland-trust.org.uk