Issue 12

Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve – where the buffalo roam

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) has long been involved with the Teifi Marshes in Pembrokeshire. Now some unconventional grazers have been enlisted to control reeds and get the management right. RICHARD DODD introduces us to a beast with a long history of domestication, the water buffalo, and takes a look at the many different habitats that make up this intriguing site.

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From brown to green and back again

Extinction is forever, but habitat loss, a familiar term after a century of agricultural intensification, does not have to be the last word. Two suites of meadows, which were once fine examples of the kind of coastal and valley habitats which Wales excelled in, are on their way to recovery. The very different experience gained along the way should benefit other places, as MATT SUTTON and DAVID WHEELER report.

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Mountains of mushrooms

A sweep of upland country lies towards the southern end of the Cambrian mountains. The lonely heart of Wales, which captures rainfall to supply water to Birmingham, is in fact teeming with life. This natural bounty includes mushrooms galore, as JAMES ROBERTSON discovered.

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The Lore of Plants: Dronwy Diaries

The Diary of Robert Buckley, Dronwy (1631-35), Part 1: The Cycle of the Seasons. DUNCAN BROWN takes a look at the farming methods of the past, and the links between people and nature.

This article is written in Welsh. A translation is available on request.

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Would woodpeckers pose for peanuts?

Wildlife photographers need to become intimately acquainted with their subjects. In the line of duty, ANNIE HAYCOCK found herself eavesdropping on the private life of a family of great spotted woodpeckers.

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Welsh islands round-up – North Wales

For sea birds like razorbill and Manx shearwater, which can live longer than many humans, the islands off the north Wales coast provide family homes, places from which they can launch themselves aloft to exploit the larder of the seas. In his round-up of island life, GEOFF GIBBS reminds us of the appeal of being close to the elements, surrounded by wildlife.

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Needle exchange – from plantations to semi-natural habitats

The woodland estate which the Forestry Commission manages is not all about trees. Within it are many valuable open wildlife habitats. Work to conserve these, and to restore ancient woodland sites to their former glory, swapping conifer needles for broadleaves, is adding to the richness of this estate, and the benefits which it will offer present and future generations, as JAMES LAING and CHRIS TUCKER explain.

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More apple detectives needed - the search for Welsh apple varieties

Steeped in wildlife and history, old apple orchards and the varieties they contain are a wonderful if diminishing habitat, a kind of archive of natural and human history. Researching this archive takes dedicated detective work, as SHEILA LEITCH describes.

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