Funding for woodland restoration project

Fforest Fawr (pictured) will be park of the restoration project Photo credit: Flickr

A new conservation project that aims to protect and restore woodland in north Cardiff has has secured £346,000 in funding.

The project, Routes to Resilience, aims to improve access for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, by creating a core network of trails and reducing the overall number of unauthorised trails.

Led by Cardiff Council and funded by Welsh Government’s Nature Networks fund, it covers Garth Woods, Fforest Ganol and Fforest Fawr, as well as Cwm Nofydd and Y Wenallt.

Work will also include restoring natural habitats through the natural regeneration of former trail areas, the removal of invasive species, native planting and community engagement.

Cardiff Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "The desire to get outdoors and explore Cardiff's woodlands is understandable - having so much nature on our doorstep is part of what makes Cardiff special - but they're fragile environments and the digging of unauthorised trails in these areas is doing some significant damage.

"Working with the community, the Routes to Resilience project aims to encourage people to use these areas responsibly, improve and restore the woodlands and strike a healthy balance between accessibility and protecting the flora and fauna that call the woods home."

Cardiff Council will work with partners including Natural Resources Wales, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC and Breedon Group.

The two-year funding will also see a programme of volunteer training and community workdays established to enable skills including trail maintenance, species identification and habitat monitoring to be developed.