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Glandwr Forest has taken an exciting step forward thanks to the Connected Trees and Woodlands project - part of a wider effort to improve habitats and support biodiversity, innovation and opportunities for skill development. Funded by Welsh Government’s National Forest for Wales Landscape Pilot 2024/2025 and administered by WCVA via Carmarthenshire Nature Partnership, the project has created real, on-the-ground change.
The Carbon Community is a science-based environmental charity with a large scale field-trial nestled within the newly planted woodlands of Glandwr Forest. When the new woodland areas were created in 2021 they were carefully designed to fit into the landscape with areas of sensitive habitat left unplanted.
Our Connected Trees and Woodlands project has connected these different habitats across the site - mature hedgerows and hedgerow trees, areas of natural regeneration, newly planted woodlands including our research areas, and species-rich grassland habitats.
Over 15% of the site is made up of mature hedgerow trees, including veterans, which are a critical source of site native regeneration, as well as offering valuable habitat for lichens, insects and bats. Thanks to new stockproof fencing and water sources, we can now introduce conservation grazing in areas we were previously unable to manage. Double fencing has been put in place to allow the protection of mature hedgerow trees from browsing, soil compaction and eutrophication; and to facilitate natural regeneration.
There is a good range of tree species at Glandwr Forest which are well suited to the soils and elevation. Recent hedgerow ‘gapping up’ has enriched the species mixture with minor native species such as dogwood, guelder rose and alder buckthorn, the latter being added to encourage the brimstone butterfly.
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A 20-year woodland management plan is now in place to guide our approach to the trees. The long-term vision includes management of the forest on a continuous cover basis, to develop a more uneven age structure. Management of the woodlands will include opportunities for coppicing to provide canopy gaps and mowing of rides through the trees will provide ample woodland corridors and edge habitat for invertebrates, mammals and woodland flowering plants. Where deadwood and fallen trees do not pose a risk to people or an impediment to access, it will be left to provide habitat for saprophitic fungi and insects.
The forest is becoming a true multi-purpose landscape. The Glandwr Forest Carbon Study is entering its fifth year, the newly planted trees are thriving, mature trees are flourishing where grazing has been removed, natural regeneration is prolific and the seed collected over the past two years is being grown in local nurseries.
The grant has supported innovation in the meadow areas with environment DNA analysis to establish a baseline of below-ground fungal activity before conservation grazing begins and we are keen to do more to monitor biodiversity evolution.
Connecting these trees and grasslands are our hedgerows which have seen quite a transformation. New hedge banks have been created for future planting; double fencing has been erected to protect mature hedgerow trees and natural regeneration and hedge-laying has been brought back to Glandwr Forest by both professionals and volunteers. This was an extremely popular skill development activity which we plan to return to later in the year.
Delivery of a project of this scale on a tight timetable has been made possible by Sonia Winder from Tilhill Forestry who has been involved in the project design from the beginning and by the amazing contractors who did such a great job. The expertise of Carmarthenshire County Council and WCVA in administering the grant has been a tremendous support. Their early visit to the project and the weekly reports have helped keep delivery on track.
A big thank you to the dreamers. For a number of years The Carbon Community has been gathering ideas for this project from enthusiasts and experts. Visitors from a range of organisations including Plantlife, Carmarthenshire Meadows Group, neighbours and volunteers. Together they have helped us vision what is possible.
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