Woodlands and communities in the Elan Valley and Eryri National Park are the latest to benefit from a Welsh Government environmental grant programme.

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

The project will 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.

And in North West Wales, the ’Developing Parc y Moch’ project run by Parc y Moch Community Investment Company has received £76,326 from The Woodland Investment Grant.

The funding will help transform Parc y Moch – a woodland off the A5 near Bethesda in the Ogwen Valley, into an outdoor and wellbeing activity centre.

The money - £323,520 in total, comes from The Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) which is run by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

These latest awards bring 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.

The Minister for Climate Change Julie James said: “This funding will protect and restore Wales’ treasured and ancient Celtic Rainforest, as well as creating a learning and wellbeing space in Parc Y Moch.

“As part of our National Forest programme these projects 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.

The funding announced on Wednesday (19 July) is the third round of five funding awards to be made over two years.

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.”

In Powys, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has been awarded £247,194 to run the ‘Elan Valley Celtic Rainforest Expansion Phase 1’ project in partnership with RSPB Cymru.

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.

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.

The TWIG 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 helping 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. 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, RSPB Cymru said: “RSPB Cymru are 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.”

In North West Wales, the ’Developing Parc y Moch’ project run by Parc y Moch Community Investment Company has received £76,326 from The Woodland Investment Grant.

The aim of the project is to make Parc y Moch – a woodland off the A5 near Bethesda in the Ogwen Valley, an outdoor and wellbeing activity centre.

The site will be transformed into a woodland space for everyone – especially people who don’t currently go out into and engage with nature.

By improving footpaths at the site and adding benches and information boards, more people will be able to get to the woodland and really make the most of it.

The TWIG grant will pay for boundary wall improvements and reviving the wetland area to boost the woodland’s biodiversity. Plans for the site include improving the entrance with a wooden gate to make it more welcoming and installing a bike rack to encourage cycling at Parc y Moch.

Building on community activities that have been happening at the site since 2021, there will also be regular volunteering days and training and events including sessions on how to make charcoal to help fund the project in future.

Harri Pickering of Parc y Moch Community Investment Company said: “It's fantastic to receive this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Welsh Government. With this grant we will be improving the access to the woodlands and the general infrastructure, it means that we can continue to develop Parc y Moch as a space for the community to use and enjoy.

"The big bonus of being able to run community events and skill swap activities will really help to bring people into the space so they can get to know it. This is surely another big step towards getting the local community to reconnect with nature.”