(c) Jeroen Helmer / Ark Nature
In 5 Years...
The vision for Pentwyn in five years...
The loan has been paid off – or re-financed – helping to create a visitor and learning experience for a wide range of people, including land managers.
Our Wilder Pentwyn Project is underway. We have involved the local community and they have a stake in the site. We are showcasing the future of land management where nature and its restoration is the driving force of management, along with climate change mitigation, adaption, and resilience.
We will have begun to model the economics of low input, low output, high quality food production through our grazing animals, and if possible secured food production through small-scale fruit, market gardening or indoor food production. Wherever possible any product will be made available to the local supply chain.
We will have begun to show what is possible if we are bold with how we approach funding nature’s recovery.
There will be a mosaic of habitats forming across the site, including: species-rich pasture, ffridd, scrub, regenerating woodland and then around the farmstead orchard and some form of community food growing.
Grazing animals will be an important tool in the low maintenance management of the site, with cattle, ponies and perhaps even pigs being utilised. Some food production from the grazing animals will be achieved where possible. Extensive grazing techniques will be showcased to local farmers.
We will have conducted baseline surveys and monitoring and will be recording the changes to the land and the gains for wildlife, adapting management where necessary. We will use this data to promote the project and encourage others to undertake similar ventures.
Other Wildlife Trusts in Wales have been inspired to undertake similar endeavours and the movement has attracted the backing of major donors and funders leading to a step change in the level of finance for our work.
Public access to the site will be facilitated and encouraged, with accessible signage seeking to engage people with the wildlife and inspire a love of nature in a fun and engaging way. The aim will be to attract new audiences to nature and so increase those inspired to protect it.
Messaging will be accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds including those with limited written English or Welsh language. The aim of messaging will be to make visitors want to know more and want to take steps to help protect and restore nature in their own communities.
