Walk on the Wild Side at the National Botanic Garden Wales

The ABC of Spring Woodlands

25th-26th April 2015

In the latest issue of Natur Cymru Bruce Langridge describes the hard work and commitment needed to manage a farm for nature at the National Botanic Garden's Waun Las National Nature Reserve.  It may be a little early yet to see hay meadows, orchids and hedgerows full of butterflies, but Spring has really sprung and now is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the woodlands, wildlife and wildflowers near where you live.

So why not join NBGW’s nature expert Deborah Sazer on a Woodland Walk Weekend, when she will be examining the A,B,C of wild flowers: anemones, bluebells and celandines.

Deborah is leading two walks per day – at 12 and 2pm  – and is promising to reach parts of the Garden you may not have visited.

These include the Forgotten Falls of Pont Felin Gat and the bluebell-rich Springwoods.

The Garden is open from 10am to 6pm with last entry at 5pm.

Admission to the Garden is £9.75 (including Gift Aid) for adults and £4.95 for children over five.  Entry is FREE for Garden members and so is parking.

For more information about this or other events, call 01558 667149, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk  or go to www.gardenofwales.org.uk

Cerdded yn y Coetir
Mae’r gwanwyn wedi dod o’r diwedd, ac nawr yw’r amser i fynd i’r awyr agored a mwynhau’r coetir, y bywyd gwyllt a’r blodau gwylltion, yn ymyl eich cartref.

Pam nad ymunwch â’r arbenigwraig natur, Deborah Sazer, felly yng Ngardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru, ar gyfer ein Penwythnos Cerdded yn y Coetir (Ebrill 25-26), pan fydd hi’n archwilio byd y blodau gwylltion:  blodau’r gwynt, clychau’r gog, melynlysiau, ac ati.

Bydd Deborah yn arwain dwy daith gerdded y diwrnod – am 12 canol dydd a 2yp ar y ddau ddiwrnod – ac mae hi’n addo cyrraedd y rhannau hynny o’r Ardd nad y’ch chi wedi bod iddyn nhw o’r blaen efallai.

Bydd rhain yn cynnwys Rhaeadrau Coll Pont-Felin-Gât, a’r Gwanwyngoed llawn clychau’r gog.

Mae’r Ardd ar agor rhwng 10yb a 6yh, gyda’r mynediad olaf am 5yh.

Y tâl mynediad i’r Ardd yw £9.75 (yn cynnwys Cymorth Rhodd) i oedolion, a £4.95 i blant dros 5 oed.   Mae mynediad AM DDIM i bob aelod o’r Ardd, fel y mae parcio.

Am fwy o wybodaeth am hwn a digwyddiadau eraill yn yr Ardd, ewch i www.gardenofwales.org.uk, neu e-bostiwch info@gardenofwales.org.uk.
 National Botanic Garden of Wales
Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8HN
Tel: (01558) 667130
077 36 36 55 60
Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru
Llanarthne, Sir Gaerfyrddin, SA32 8HN
Ffôn: (01558) 667130
077 36 36 55 60

facebook.com/NBGofWtwitter.com/@walesbotanic

 

NATUR CYMRU OFF AND ON A TRAIN

We set off from Plas Tan y Bwlch station on the Ffestiniog railway, six of us and a dog, to observe springtime in the Vale of Maentwrog.

First stop was the 'rainforest' look-out, high above the River Dwyryd; the streams were still flowing but the trees and ground flora were thirsty for moisture and not showing off their luxuriant mosses and liverworts.

The track through the plantation was sheltered and sunny, with butterflies lighting on the wayside flowers. On the dark, needle-soft, moist plantation floor we found the heart shaped leaves of the marsh violet, the food plant for small pearl bordered fritillary.

We escaped the darkness and emerged into the sunshine, onto a cleared area where oats were once grown to nourish former smallholders and their stock. From here we could see the Tomen y Mur hilltop encampment used by the Romans and others - it has an amphitheatre!

The sparse acid oak woodlands on the slopes below the railway were alive with birds- flycatchers, warblers, tits, woodpeckers and overhead, we saw and heard choughs. The woodland floor was bursting with fern fronds and blaeberries and the blue sheen of bluebell was breathtaking. We walked past cottages and a willow sculpture with histories, a fortifed house with its own 'halt' on the railway and on up the slope towards the fascinating railway 'loop' at Duallt. Bog bean was in flower around the little Llyn beside the 'request stop'.

The train steamed into view and we climbed aboard for an 'overview' of our route back to Plas station.