A good news story for wildlife in Abercwmboi.
The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales recently completed a two-year species and habitat recovery project at a Nature Reserve in Abercwmboi. The site, known as Pwll Waun Cynon Nature Reserve, was given to the Trust by Lord Aberdare in 1986 and thanks to a Biffa Award grant it has received two-years of intensive management, to restore its wildflower meadows and tackle alien invasive species.
Pwll Waun Cynon surrounds the field known locally as the ‘Peace Park’, and is bisected by the railway at Fernhill Railway Station. The site comprises a large pond, wildflower meadows and woodland, and is a haven for wildlife and wildlife lovers alike.
The site was at one time part of a whole series of wildlife rich wetlands that stretch along the Cynon Valley. But today, after much development on the valley floodplains, Pwll Waun Cynon is a valuable fragment of a fast dwindling habitat, and Otter, Kingfisher, Grass snake and a rich variety of waterfowl and invertebrates are reliant upon its management and preservation.
Over the last couple of years the meadows have been fenced in so that conservation grazing can be used to promote growth of wildflowers; a pond and hibernaculum has been created for the use of amphibians and reptiles; invasive species such as Japanese knotweed have been tackled; and many bags of litter have been collected and access points installed, to make the Nature Reserve a more pleasant place for local people to visit. All of this was done with the assistance of local volunteers and wildlife enthusiasts, and the Wildlife Trust would like to thank all those who were involved.
Now that the site has had some long-overdue TLC, a management plan has been written, and the Wildlife Trust and volunteers will continue to regularly attend and carry out management tasks. Local people who would like to get involved in managing the site, carrying out wildlife surveys, or simply want to know more about the work of the Trust are encouraged to get in contact on info@welshwildlife.org or 01656 724100.
https://www.welshwildlife.org/nature-reserve/pwll-waun-cynon-mountain-ash/
https://www.welshwildlife.org/news/walk-mary-pwll-waun-cynon/
