Green Alliance helps Barry Communities
Environmental experts have been helping residents from two communities in Barry turn overgrown areas near their homes into havens for wildlife and conservation.
BTCV Cymru, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, and electricity company Western Power Distribution (WPD), have formed a green alliance which enables practical assistance and guidance to be provided to a range of groups, organisations and schools who are seeking to enhance their communities by planting native species of trees, shrubs and hedges.
In Barry, hedge laying expertise has been provided to a group of local residents at Cwm Talwg Woods, which has resulted in the planting of new indigenous shrubs and fifty metres of new hedge being created.
Meanwhile, at Cadoxton, an area of neglected land at Coldbrook Road has been cleared of bramble and rubbish in the first stage towards turning it into a nature reserve. This followed a request for help from residents belonging to the Crystal Springs Conservation Group.
Jonathan Singleton, BTCV’s South East Wales Conservation Officer, explained: “The hedge laying attracted 56 local people over three days from Cwm Talwg Woodlands Residents’ Association, who were shown how to lay a hedge, as well as how to coppice nearby trees to obtain wooden stakes necessary for the hedge work.
”At Cadoxton, the cleared site has been fenced off and over 600 native trees planted to create a natural hedge line. This will also help the diversity of wildlife and protect and define the area.
“The next stage is to construct an entrance gate and kissing gate, and various sections of the site are going to be cleared of top soil and wild flowers planted. If the top soil was left, the ground would be too rich in nutrients for the wild flowers to grow,” he said.
Once completed, the area will be managed and maintained by the Conservation Group.
August 2007