Natur Cymru Spring 2015 - Issue 54

Publication date: 17^th March 2015

Cover price £4.50, or quarterly by subscription £18 pa (individual) or £32 (group/organisation)

Dragonflies in Wales – from the records ● Brian Walker & Claire Install. Findings from the new Dragonfly Atlas.

Recording the water-bird splendour of the Dee Estuary • Neil Friswell & Colin Wells. Thirty years of the Wetland Bird Survey on the Dee Estuary.

Y Tywyddiadur – sychder eithriadol 1887 yng Nghymru a thu hwnt • Duncan Brown & Twm Elias. Cofnodi tywydd yng Nghymru (rhan 3).

Common terns at Shotton – a Welsh success story • Peter Coffey. Wales’ common tern breeding colony.

Teifi Marshes nature reserve – from water shrew to water buffalo • Nathan Walton. The wildlife of a much loved wetland reserve.

The Argent and Sable moth and its association with bog myrtle in Wales • Andrew Graham. Revealing an intimate association between an insect and its foodplant.

Tŷ Newydd – an environment to write about • Robert Minhinnink. The National Writers’ Centre of Wales and its sense of place.

60 Years Ago – the story of a National Nature Reserve • Peter Walters Davies & James Robertson.

The struggle to save Cors Fochno from agricultural reclamation.

NODWEDDION ARFEROL / REGULAR FEATURES

Green Bookshelf ● Kathryn Birch, Jim Latham

Discoveries in Science ● Kath Slade. 3D slide collection at Amgueddfa Cymru/Nat. Museum Wales

Nature at large ● Ceri Morris. A Pygmy sperm whale is stranded in Caernarfon Bay

From the garden ● Bruce Langridge. I name this field… Cae Tegeirianau

Tribute to Ziggy Otto • Charlotte Gjerlov. Natur Cymru author and inspirational conservation biologist

Islands round-up • Geoff Gibbs. News from Skomer and Skokholm

Life lines ● Anthony Barker. Offshore early warning network

In my front garden ● John Crellin. Life on the street

Buglife ● Craig Macadam. Riverflies and their importance to wetland ecosystems

Woods and forests ● Christopher Matts. Can Ancient Woodland benefit farmers?

Nature Writing Course

Tŷ Newydd, Lloyd George’s former home and current home to the National Writers’ Centre for Wales, runs nature writing courses each year. The format includes an inspirational naturalist, who wows you with things in the wild, and a leading writer who helps you convert experience into expression.  The next course runs over the weekend starting 19th April 2013. For full details look here.

Tŷ Newydd is close to the sea on the edge of Snowdonia just north of Cricieth. You can't fail but to write a masterpiece!

Nigel Brown and his amazing moths

Ray Woods, lichens and the meaning of life

This year’s William Condry lecture was given by Ray Woods and it was a privilege to be in the audience. I must confess there were one or two sections that I did not quite understand so I’m mighty relieved to see the lecture has now been published on the Condry Lecture website.

Next year’s Condry Lecture will be given by Mark Cocker on Saturday 5^th October, which is just before he starts to present the Tŷ Newydd nature writing course from 7^th to 12^th October. I’ve not yet seen the course details but there is a rumour that Ray Woods may be co-tutoring. Early booking is advised. 

Inspired by Nature prize giving at Dinefwr

Chris Kinsey was presented with a £500 cheque from WWF Cymru as the winner of the 2012 Inspired by Nature competition.  Gillian Clarke, both judge and presenter, said of The Hawk Moth Effect, the winning entry: ‘.... it wasn’t pretty or decorated, it was exciting, the prose ran, it had muscle, it had information, it had a story ....’ You can hear Gillian’s words in her own voice in this short film: 

In second place was John Harold with an article titled How I fell in love with the frog lady. His prize was a £500 voucher for the residential nature writing course at Tŷ Newydd. The first two articles will be published in the autumn edition of Natur Cymru.

Left to right: Liz, Chris, Gillian & Eloise 

The other prize winners were Eloise Williams who won an overnight trip for two to Skomer Island (sponsored by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales) with an article titled I carry your heart with me. In fourth place was Liz Fleming-Williams who won a dolphin survey boat trip for two (sponsored by Dolphin Survey Boat Trips) for her article Snow on a Raven’s Wing. In fifth place was Rob Collister who won a meal for two at the Glasshouse Café in the Wildlife Centre at Cilgerran (sponsored by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales) for his article In my backyard.

Ann Meikle, head of WWF Cymru, was unable to attend but sent this message of support:  ‘one of WWF's objectives is to inspire people to care for nature. At the same time, as more and more people around the world live in cities, it is important to use all media, particularly arts and literature to bring the joy and wonder of nature to people who may not experience it themselves. It is in that context that we are always pleased to sponsor this prize’.

David Parker, Chief Scientist for the Countryside Council for Wales and Chairman of Natur Cymru, said:  ‘Natur Cymru is an independent magazine of record about the wildlife and nature of Wales linked to the way we manage the countryside and to people, both local communities and the many visitors to Wales. A distinctive feature is the use of original art for the front covers. I would like to thank all the sponsors of the competition. I would also like to thank The National Trust, Literature Wales and Coracle for making us so welcome at Dinefwr Park and the first Literature Festival for Wales.’

A final thank you and welcome to all the people who became subscribers to Natur Cymru at the event. I hope you enjoy your quarterly read about what makes the nature of Wales so special. Final, final thank you to the BBC for laying on such environmentally friendly travel ...

Taking time out to travel to Dinefwr

Inspired by Nature - the winners

Chris Kinsey is the winner of the Natur Cymru Inspired by Nature writing competition sponsored by WWF Cymru, Tŷ Newydd, The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and Dolphin Survey Boat Trips.

Andrew Forgrave, rural affairs editor at the Daily Post, said of The Hawk Moth Effect, the winning entry: ‘Can you remember that precise moment when you fell in love with wildlife? Chris Kinsey can. She was aged 10, and the object of her affection was an elephant hawk moth. With the gift of adult hindsight, she recalls the childish wonderment she felt with this “beautiful imago” that, to her astonishment, carried the gift of metamorphosis. Its “Alice-in-Wonderland transformation” from cigar butt chrysalis to moth world stealth bomber sparked a lifelong fascination with lepidoptera. And who can blame her?’

Gillian Clarke, the national poet of Wales and one of the judges, commented: ‘The best entries teach me something, and have a narrative. Good writing is clear, and avoids the temptation to add too many adjectives.’

Gillian Clarke will present Chris Kinsey with the £500 cash prize, donated by WWF Cymru, at the Dinefwr 2012 Literature Festival on 30^th June. She will also present the £500 voucher for the residential nature writing course at Tŷ Newydd to John Harold who came second with an article titled How I fell in love with the frog lady.

James Robertson, editor of Natur Cymru, commented ‘The competition elicited some wonderful pieces of writing. Luckily we had five prizes to give out: the judges agonised about the order of the final five, each having its strong points. Congratulations to all five winners, and all those who took part. Nature writing is clearly flourishing.’

Anne Meikle, Head of WWF Cymru, said: ‘WWF Cymru is delighted to have sponsored this year’s Natur Cymru writing competition. We hope reading such talented work will enthuse others into discovering the wonders of nature and some of the threats which they face.’

The other prize winners are Eloise Williams who wins an overnight trip for two to Skomer Island (sponsored by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales) with an article titled I carry your heart with me. In fourth place is Liz Fleming-Williams who wins a dolphin survey boat trip for two (sponsored by Dolphin Survey Boat Trips) for her article Snow on a Raven’s Wing. In fifth place is Rob Collister who wins a meal for two at the Glasshouse Café in the Wildlife Centre at Cilgerran (sponsored by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales) for his article In my backyard.

The first two articles will be published in the autumn edition of Natur Cymru. Prize giving at Dinefwr will be in the dining room of Newton House at Dinefwr at 2:15 pm Saturday 30^th June. This will be followed by a guided walk through Castell Woods led by Ray Woods and Lizzie Wilberforce.

Nature Writing Course October 10-15, 2011

Nature writing is an attempt to draw together in one literary form the realms of science, art and personal memoir. What better place to reflect upon all these themes than in wild Wales and the glorious coastal landscapes of the Llŷn Peninsula. We will examine the natural forces that create this beautiful environment but we will also consider how you find a language to express encounters with living places and wild things. Outdoors and indoors, this is a course where your walking boots are as essential as your laptop.

The tutors are Nigel Brown and Mark Cocker.

Nigel is a Lecturer in Biological Sciences at Bangor University and curator of the University’s botanic garden. Nigel has both a professional and lifelong interest in natural history. He has lived in northwest Wales for four decades and cherishes the region’s rich variety of landscape and wildlife.

Mark is one of Britain’s foremost writers on nature and contributes regularly to The Guardian. His seven books include Birds Britannica and Crow Country, which was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2008 and won the New Angle Prize for Literature 2009. 

Residential: £525 (single); £300 (shared); Non-residential £275. 10% off for members of Naturalist Trusts or other nature and conservation groups. For further details contact Tŷ Newydd Writers’ Centre, Llanystumdwy, Cricieth, Gwynedd LL52 0LW 01766 522811 tynewydd@literaturewales.org

One of the students is the runner up in Natur Cymru’s Inspired by Nature writing competition. 

Hay 2011

It was great to mix with the good and the great at this year’s Hay Festival. What a wonderful setting for the Inspired by Nature prize-giving ceremony.

Thanks to RSPB Cymru for inviting us into their tent and to WWF Cymru and Tŷ Newydd for sponsoring the competition prizes. To all the competitors, the winners, the judges and Gillian Clarke for presenting the prizes.

Thanks also to BBC Radio Wales for featuring us on the Jamie and Louise programme and the Roy Noble Show. Roy called in to see us .... I think he’d heard about the cake which was the star of the show!

'Fire-Fighting' wins writing competition

John Harold is the winner of the Natur Cymru Inspired by Nature writing competition sponsored by WWF Cymru and Tŷ Newydd, the national writers’ centre.

Gillian Clarke, the national poet of Wales and one of the judges, commented: ‘I gave first place to John Harold for Fire-Fighting. This was the piece from which I learned most. I enjoyed the unfolding story of fire in the heathland and mountains, its power to destroy, to regenerate. Close behind was Frances Voelcker, for her observations on the changing natural environment of Graig Goch.’

Gillian Clarke will present John Harold with the £500 cash prize at the Hay Festival on 31^st May and also present the £500 voucher for a residential course at Tŷ Newydd to Frances Voelcker.

James Robertson, editor of Natur Cymru, commented ‘The judges were unanimous in agreeing on the winners of the two prizes. Both were outstanding. First prize goes to John Harold for his original, powerful take on fire in the uplands. Second prize to Frances Voelcker, for her thoughtful, lyrical exploration of her mountain’.

Andrew Forgrave, rural affairs editor at the Daily Post and the other judge, described the two winning entries: ‘Fire-Fighting is an insider’s view of an issue that brings annual devastation to Welsh hillsides. Fire fighter or arsonist? Cleverly, the author bides his time before coming clean, and rounds off the piece nicely with some personal perspectives. Graig Goch is a lilting piece with a poetic quality. Lack of a strong narrative is off-set by some wonderful imagery and, at the finish, the writer’s bond with her subject is clearly felt. Impressive, challenging writing by a gifted wordsmith.’

Anne Meikle, Head of WWF Cymru, said: ‘WWF Cymru is delighted to have sponsored this year’s Natur Cymru writing competition. We hope reading such talented work will enthuse others into discovering the wonders of nature and some of the threats which they face.’

The equal runners up in the competition and the titles of their articles are as follows:

John Woolner    Welsh Dragon
Merlin Evans     A Little Bird Told Me
Julian Jones      Re-Wilding My Town

The winning articles will be published in the summer edition of Natur Cymru which celebrates its 10^th anniversary. Prize giving at Hay will be on the RSPB stand at 3 pm Tuesday 31st May.

ENDS

For further information please contact Huw Jenkins, Natur Cymru on 01766 590272 huw.naturcymru@btinternet.com