A grant of £247,194 has been awarded to Dwr Cymru to help protect the Elan Valley Celtic Rainforest - an incredibly rare habitat that is thought to be more threatened than the tropical rainforest.

The project is being supported by Natural Resources Wales and Radnorshire Wildlife Trust to establish an extensive Elan Valley Celtic Rainforest woodland on sites to the south of Llangurig and the north of Llandovery, protecting the landscape which is home to rare birds, butterflies and insects.

Celtic Rainforest is defined by the Woodland Trust as “an incredibly rare habitat that is thought to be more threatened than the tropical rainforest” and this project will protect these important woodlands within the Elan landscape which are home to rare birds, butterflies and insects.

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The funding will see a new woodland trail with easy access and information boards created to encourage local visitors to explore the area and increase their understanding of the local environment. There will also be a dedicated outdoor education area with easy access to run sessions for local schools and youth groups.

An existing barn will provide a base for activities and a natural outdoor seating area will be created for story-telling and bushcraft activities, to help visitors develop a greater connection to nature.

Jennifer Newman, visitor experience manager, Elan Valley, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, said: “We are so excited to be able to work in partnership with RSPB Cymru to safeguard Elan’s internationally important Atlantic Oak woodlands, known as Celtic Rainforests into the future.

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“The opportunities this funding will allow us to deliver includes new volunteering and educational opportunities for the local community and to protect our special wildlife and biodiversity unique to the Elan Valley.”

Commenting on the funding award, Fiona Walker, senior conservation officer at RSPB Cymru, said: “RSPB Cymru is delighted to be partnering with Elan Valley on this incredibly important project.

"The ancient broadleaved woodlands of the Elan Valley are rich in biodiversity, with a range of woodland species including pied flycatcher, lichens, bryophytes and invertebrates.

“This funding will enable sustainable woodland management to help safeguard and join up the woodlands into the future, ensuring that young trees are able to flourish and continue to support these important and increasingly rare species, amidst a national biodiversity crisis.”

The latest award brings the overall investment by the TWIG programme – which is part of the Welsh Government’s National Forest initiative since it launched in June 2022 to over £2 million - £2,039,018.

Minister for Climate Change Julie James said: “This funding will protect and restore Wales’ treasured and ancient Celtic Rainforest.

“As part of our National Forest programme the project will help to restore and maintain some of Wales’s irreplaceable ancient woodlands, which in time will form a connected network running throughout Wales, bringing social, economic and environmental benefits.”

The TWIG programme provides grants of £40,000 - £250,000 to create, restore and enhance woodlands in Wales.

Welcoming the news, Andrew White, director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said: “Funding natural heritage projects which help tackle the effects of climate change and support nature’s recovery is a key priority for The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales. The Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) – run in partnership with the Welsh Government, is just one of the ways that we are meeting this objective.

“From the creation of new woodlands and the restoration of others, these grants will also contribute to the National Forest for Wales initiative, enhance capacity to adapt to the climate crisis and bring direct health benefits to the people and communities involved.”