A walk on the wild side…

A walk on the wild side…

I’ve been wondering whether this journey is going to happen at all. Truth is, despite planning it in my head for at least a year I haven’t had any time to really...prepare? The Wales Coast Path. Six weeks of walking and cycling around the very edge of our country. It'll be beautiful, awe inspiring and tough - a real walk on the wild side...

Pant-y-llyn Turlough – an Irish freshwater habitat in Wales

Pant-y-llyn Turlough – an Irish freshwater habitat in Wales

by on 14. Mar, 2012 in assessment, conservation biology, designated areas, ecology, environmental protection, freshwater biology, hydrology, landscape, plant science, species

Just like Irish turloughs, the basin at Pant-y-llyn fills in late autumn to a depth of about 3-metres and remains full until the summer when it drains and dries completely. In July, at the northern end, you can stand above the bath plug hole and see the retreating water level and dense soup of invertebrates struggling to survive…

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What do Welsh Otters eat?

What do Welsh Otters eat?

by on 14. Mar, 2012 in animal science, assessment, biotechnology, conservation biology, evaluation, evidence collection, genetics, interpretation, research, research methods metrics and analysis, skills and competences, species, statistical analysis

The work demanded a lot of concentration, with volunteers having to carefully pick out individual bones before inspecting them under a microscope. Then, using an identification key and looking for characteristic notches and shapes, we could work out which species the bones belonged to…

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It’s all in the DNA…

It’s all in the DNA…

by on 22. Feb, 2012 in animal science, assessment, biotechnology, conservation biology, evaluation, evidence collection, genetics, interpretation, research, research methods metrics and analysis, skills and competences, species, statistical analysis

To extract our DNA, we of course require capturing some samples first. Hair is collected using hair tubes – whereby sticky pads are placed inside a baited tube with the hope that visiting mammals leave a few hairs behind…

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Newport Wetlands – a winter wonderland on your doorstep

Newport Wetlands – a winter wonderland on your doorstep

by on 01. Feb, 2012 in access and recreation, access to the countryside, designated areas, education training and interpretation, educational centres, environmental change, landscape, leisure, natural environment and landscape, natural resource conservation, natural resource management, natural resources, recreation, tourism, Uncategorized

It’s World Wetlands Day this Thursday [2nd February]. To celebrate, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is inviting people to come and enjoy a free leisurely two-kilometre guided walk around the reed-beds…

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Monitoring Wales’s masters of the night

Monitoring Wales’s masters of the night

by on 30. Jan, 2012 in animal science, assessment, evaluation, evidence collection, innovation, natural environment and landscape, research, research methods metrics and analysis, species, statistical analysis, technology and innovation, video

Prior to starting this work, I had never been in a bat roost. The only thing I knew about bats was they are flying mammals which echolocate [also termed bio-sonar] to ‘see’ in the dark…

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Valleys scheme seeks Ambassadors

Valleys scheme seeks Ambassadors

by on 29. Jan, 2012 in built heritage, communities, culture, education training and interpretation, employment, environmental impacts and controls, historic environment, settlements, skills and competences, social groups, social history, tourism, training, urban areas, video

…through this innovative scheme the Valleys Regional Park project aims to encourage volunteers from across the Valleys to receive free accredited training and become part of the network of “Valleys Ambassadors”.

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