Churchyards as wildlife havens, restoration of village ponds, establishing village greens, composting and recycling will be among topics featured at a Valuing the Environment event at East Williamston on November 3.
Community environment groups will be gathering to mark the launch of the Valuing the Environment Network. The network has developed as a result of the work carried out by communities under the Valuing the Environment initiative, started by PLANED six years ago.
The network will provide a forum for the groups to showcase their work, share ideas and exchange information. It will also be a chance to celebrate the wide range of projects that has been carried out across Pembrokeshire as a result of community action.
Among the activities featured at the launch will be a series of 'Wildlife on your Patch' workshops which have taken place over the past year, supported by Environment Wales, CCW and the Biodiversity Partnership. These provided specialist training for communities to undertake wildlife surveys in all sorts of environments - from wetlands to grass meadows and parkland.
The most recent event was held at Ambleston where members of the community surveyed Wallis Moor for fungi and heather and did some pond dipping in Wallis Pond to establish how healthy the watercourse is. Earlier in the summer, East Williamston residents learned how to carry out a wildlife survey (pictured).
Dr. David Worrall, regional manager for CCW, will open the event which, in addition to exhibitions and presentations, will include a tour of East Williamston's Jubilee Park and Nature Trail. Representatives of specialist organisations such as the National Park Authority, Keep Wales Tidy, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the National Trust will be on hand to offer advice.
In addition to professional guidance on biodiversity matters, community environment group members also attend workshops which focus on particular themes such as the recent 'Seed Gathering Sunday' held at Colby Woodland Garden. The next one will be an 'Introduction to Coppicing and Woodwork' on Saturday, November 17. PLANED's Valuing the Environment initiative is supported by the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government and EU Objective 1.
For more information about the launch event and the workshops, please contact Jetske Germing, PLANED's Valuing the Environment officer, on (01834) 862111.