14 September 2007
"Come and help us design a new woodlnaqd in the foothills of Cadair Idris", says Coed Cadw
Tirgawen Public Meeting, 5.45pm, Tuesday 25th September at Llanegryn Village Hall
Local people in and around Llanegryn are being invited to come along and help the Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust), the UK’s leading woodland charity, design its new native woodland at Tirgawen, in the Dysynni Valley.
The meeting starts at 5.45pm, on Tuesday 25 September, Llanegryn Village Hall. It includes a visit to, and a short walk around, Tirgawen, for which free transport will be provided. There is NO need to book in advance, but it would help the Trust if those who know they wish to come could let them know in advance by emailing erylroberts@woodland-trust.org.uk or phoning him on (01248) 601154. If anyone wants to attend the meeting, but is not able to take in the walk, they are welcome to come to the Village Hall at 7pm.
Those coming on the walk should bring stout footwear and, if wet, waterproofs.
The Trust unveiled its plans to create new native woodland at Tirgawen last month, and already many local people have been in touch to make clear their support. There is a special website for people to support the campaign at: www.woodland-trust.org.uk/tirgawen
Native woodland creation is one of the Trust’s top priorities. The charity therefore hopes to fund the project through donations from its own members and supporters, through corporate support and partnerships, through woodland creation grants and other methods.
But it recognises that local support is particularly important, too. Although the total cost of the project is £800,000, which includes the initial costs of creating the new woodland and also the costs needed to manage it for the first few years of its life, it has launched a local appeal campaign with the aim of raising £50,000 towards the total cost. In this way, relatively small donations from individuals can “unlock” larger sums by providing matching funding for grant applications from other bodies. So it’s likely that every £1 given by the local community and the Trust’s supporters will help raise a further £16.
The meeting will deal with how Tirgawen is to be managed as a woodland: exactly where trees will be planted, how access will be managed within the site, how it is promoted, and even what the new wood will be called.
The planning of the new wood is being led by Eryl Roberts of the Woodland Trust. He says: “The Dysynni Valley is already a very special area. But Tirgawen also offers a rare opportunity for a landscape restoration project that will not just protect what is there already, but improve on it by recreating the typical wooded middle slopes which are so characteristic of parts of the Dysynni valley. We hope to do this with the local community, and to involve local people not just in planting some of the trees, but also in planning the project. So we’re looking for ideas and suggestions from local people, to make sure that the new planting is a well designed as it possibly can be.”
For media enquiries contact:
Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 01766 832563 or 07760 171174 Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH Email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk
Or Eryl Roberts on (01248) 601154
Or The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodland-trust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.coed-cadw.org.uk The Trust adopted its Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
