Major project launched to restore 1,600 hectares of Eryri landscape
Nation.Cymru staff
A major project has been launched to restore more than 1,600 hectares of habitats in an Eryri valley where some threatened species are at risk of disappearing.
The Natur i Bobl Nant Ffrancon project will cover land from Cwm Idwal to the bottom of Dyffryn Ogwen, including upland bog, montane heath, rivers and wildflower grasslands.
Led by National Trust Cymru, the scheme has received nearly £1m from the Nature Networks Fund, delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
The project has been established in response to concerns over ecological decline in Nant Ffrancon, where habitats have become fragmented and species including ring ouzel and twite are under threat.
Around 1,635 hectares – or 4,040 acres – of land cared for by the National Trust will be restored or conserved through the project.
Work will be carried out with tenant farmers, local communities, volunteers and other organisations, with measures including targeted grazing to improve priority habitats.
Ecological surveys and monitoring will be used to assess changes, with species including pine martens and otters and plants such as aspen and juniper used as indicators of the health of the valley.
A new Hwb Natur Ogwen, or Nature Hub, will also be established as a base for conservation work, training and community activities.
It will include a nursery for native trees and plants as well as facilities for schools, training and community events.
Pine martens are one-of the species set to benefit from the project. Photo National Trust Images Rob Coleman
Simon Rogers, National Trust Cymru’s project manager for Natur i Bobl Nant Ffrancon, said: “Nant Ffrancon is one of Wales’ most special landscapes, but like many places, it faces significant challenges from habitat loss and declining biodiversity. We are at a tipping point, and we need to act now.
“Natur i Bobl Nant Ffrancon gives us an exciting opportunity to work alongside local communities, farmers, and partners, to restore and join up habitats that are better for nature, support threatened species and create a more resilient future for the valley.
“By building on previous and ongoing nature restoration work in the area, and placing people at the heart of nature recovery, we hope to create a lasting legacy where wildlife, farming and communities can thrive together and where wildlife can flourish for generations.”
Plantlife Cymru
The project will build on existing conservation work in the area, including the Tlysau Mynydd Eryri – Mountain Jewels of Eryri – project led by Plantlife Cymru to protect rare alpine plants.
This has included the use of GPS collars on livestock to control where animals graze.
The technology is currently being used at Blaen y Nant, a National Trust-owned upland farm which the charity plans to re-let next year.
Separate work with Natural Resources Wales is restoring peatland and reconnecting the Afon Ogwen with its floodplain.
The Natur i Bobl Nant Ffrancon project is due to run until early 2029.
A community day will be held at Blaen y Nant farm on October 3, featuring talks and activities about the project as well as a fun run and live music.
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