Wales Nature Week 2021

A massive thank you to everyone who took part in Wales Nature Week 2021!

Wales Nature Week! 29 May - 6 June 2021

Celebrating nature in Wales Nature Week!

Wales Nature Week is coming! An annual celebration of nature featuring the fantastic habitats and species of Wales.

Our virtual set of events commence with a welcome return of the Garden BioBlitz- you can take part across Wales by spotting and sharing nature visitors and residents in your garden. Helpful tips and support from our community of experts will ensure your participation is fun and informative.

The celebration continues with a focus each day on habitat types and the species they support. Brought to you by Local Nature Partnerships in Wales, it’s an opportunity to discover nature on your doorstep, who lives there and how you can help nature by partnering up with your Local NaturePartnership- there’s one in every corner of Wales!

Be sure to check back for further updates

Discover your nature inspiration in Wales, share your stories, experience and enjoy nature!

Due to ongoing restrictions arising from the Covid pandemic we are planning on hosting virtual events across Wales during Wales Nature Week

Events Schedule

29^th May Garden BioBlitz with the Wales’ Local Environmental Record Centres

Midnight 28 May - Midnight 29 May
Celebrate the start of Wales Nature Week and join wildlife recorders to spot species in your garden! Help us create a national snapshot of wonderful Welsh wildlife and discover the nature on your own doorstep. This is a fun interactive event that all members of the family can enjoy! Suitable for complete beginners and nature enthusiasts alike.

Facebook event. Event link

Resources & Activities
Video guide to recording species ‘on the go’
Wildlife gardening
buglife.org.uk/gardening for Bugs
RSPB: 20 easy ways to give wildlife a home
What bat is that?
Animals and Habitats - Activities and games (NRW web guide)

Full list of events can be found here

30th May Theme of the day: Woodland and Trees
A day dedicated to our woodlands, hedgerows and urban street trees. Featuring:

10:00 Introduction to the day with Elis Smits (short film)
10:00-10:30 Introducing the Celtic Rainforest LIFE Project with Julia Harrison, Celtic Rainforests Project (short film)
11:00 Live event Woodland Minibeast Hunt with Vee Brannovic, Local Nature Partnership Coordinator, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. Film commissioned for Wales Nature Week.
11:30 Live event Tree ID class. Join Vee Brannovic Local Nature Partnership Coordinator, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen for a walk in Herbert's Wood Pontypool for tips to boost your tree id skills. Film commissioned for Wales Nature Week.

Details of events and how you can participate to follow. Events are subject to change.

Resources & Activities
WoodlandTrust/TreeIDApp
WoodlandTrust/TreeToolsForSchoolsand Families
Woodland wildlife Woodland Trust (web guide)
British native Trees (web guide)
Celtic Rainforests Project (in depth video)
Celtic Rainforests Wales (web guide)
The National Forest for Wales introduction
Red squirrel field signs with the Mid Wales Red Project (short film)
Red squirrel field survey with the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Project (short film)

Full list of events can be found here

31st May Theme of the day: Wetlands
Celebrating our wetland habitats in Wales! Featuring:

10:00 Introduction to the day with Sean McHugh (short film)
10:30 Magor Marsh- landscape, habitats and species (short film)
11:00 Damsels, dragons and pond life at Llangorse Lake. A short film by the British Dragonfly Society. Event hosted by BIS. Film commissioned for Wales Nature Week.
13:00 Join Becky at the Central Valley Nature Reserve, Gwent and discover the many creatures that thrive in our ponds large and small. Becky is the Biodiversity Officer based at Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. Film commissioned for Wales Nature Week.
14:30 WWT Llanelli Wetlands landscape, habitats and species (short film)
8:00pm Live event. Big Nature Quiz with the Wales’ Local Environmental Record Centres
Test your natural history knowledge this Wales Nature Week, and join LERC Wales for a virtual pub quiz! From mammal matters to slug skills, how much do you know about out wonderful Welsh wildlife? Facebook event
Event link

Details of events and how you can participate to follow. Further events to follow. Events are subject to change.

Resources & Activities
Wetland wildlife (web guide)
Freshwater habitats (web guide)
Reptiles & amphibians (web guide)

Survey
White-legged Damselflies in west Wales!

We need your help looking for this charismatic under-recorded species in recent decades and we want to investigate whether its distribution has changed.

Full list of events can be found here

1st June Theme of the day: Meadows / Farmland
Today the focus is on our precious meadow habitats. Featuring:

10:00 Introduction to the day with Sali Palmer (short film)
10:30 Live event Virtual Meadow Walk. Meadows are at their best in June. Join Vee Brannovic for a virtual meadow walk spotting typical flowers and grasses along the way. Vee is the Local Nature Partnership coordinator for Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
The meadow at Blaen Tir, by Derek Cobley - YouTube (short video) In the video filmed for the Carmarthenshire Meadows Group, Derek outlines his experiences in managing a flower rich meadow near Llandovery
Live event 7:00pm-8:00 pm Colliery Spoil Meadows Discover the fascinating invertebrates that inhabits colliery spoil meadow habitats with Liam Olds from Buglife Cymru. Zoom event. Please contact WBP for login details to take part.
Big Meadows Search
Take part in the BigMeadow Search during Wales Nature Week. The aim is to search meadows and record the plant species you find using the Big Meadow Search tick list. Open to all- you don’t need your own meadow (but do get the landowner’s permission if you are searching on someone else’s land).

Did you know the first meadows group in Wales was formed in Monmouthshire in 2003- there are meadows group springing up all over Wales. Get in touch with your Local Nature Partnership Coordinator to find out more.

Details of events and how you can participate to follow. Further events to follow.

Resources & Activities
10:00- 13:00 Community Wildlife Activity Day Saint Julitta's Church, Capel Curig

Churchyards are often fantastic places for nature- if you are in the Capel Curig area why not join North Wales Wildlife Trust for a wildlife safari.
Further details

Wildflower plants basic identification (short film)
How to make a meadow with native wild flowers (poster)
Plantlife mini-meadow creation (short film)
A whole wildflower meadow year in two minutes (short film)
Great British Wildflower Hunt
Trevor Dines' meadow in North Wales (short film)
PFLA & Plantlife webinar: Restoring and creating small areas of native wildflower meadow (in-depth look)

National Meadows Day celebrations (3- 4 July)
Meadows celebration continues all summer. Magnificent Meadows Wales will be running a few events across Wales to celebrate meadows. These will be fun days filled with different activities including meadow flower and bug walks, scything demonstrations, yoga in the meadow and more! Venues: 3^rd July – Glantawe Riverside Park, Pontardawe & Llanddona, Conwy, 4^th July – Scolton Manor, Pembs. Watch Plantlife Cymru Facebook page for updates

Full list of events can be found here

2nd June Theme of the day: Peatlands
Peatland habitats are widespread throughout Wales- today learn more about bogs and mires and their importance for nature and society. Featuring:

10:00 Introduction to the day with Bethan Wynne Jones
12:00 Birds eye view of Cors Goch peatlands with Bethan Wynne Jones & Rachel Harvey from Snowdonia National Park (short film). In this film specially commissioned for Wales Nature Week, Bethan and Rachel describe how peat is formed and why peatlands are such important habitats for wildlife

Details of events and how you can participate to follow. Further events to follow.

Resources & Activities

Bog activities (web learning resource)
Peatland word search
Bog carnivores & herbivores
New LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs (short film)
Restoration work on Cors Caron (in-depth look)
Restoration work on Cors Fochno (in depth look)
"My name is Peat" Pupils from Pentrefoelas and Ysbyty Ifan schools highlighting the importance of peatland restoration with rap artist Ed Holden.

Full list of events can be found here

3rd June Theme of the day: Marine & Coastal
Today we focus on our stunning coastal and marine habitats. Featuring:

10:00 Introduction to the day with Rose Revera (short film)
10-12 am Mini-Marine Biologist Online Interactive Talk with Sea Watch Foundation
Become a 'Mini-Marine Biologist' and help us celebrate the Watery World of Wales! Ages 7+ yrs
10:30 Sands of Life Project with Laura Bowen– protecting precious sand dune habitats in Wales (short film). Film commissioned for Wales Nature Week.
Rockpooling for beginners with Karen from the Swansea Local Nature Partnership (short film)
2-3pm Land Watch with Sea Watch Foundation Live!
Join us as we look out and hope to spot some of our semi-resident Bottlenose Dolphins of New Quay Bay while explaining Sea Watch Research and Monitoring Techniques.

Details of events and how you can participate to follow. Further events to follow. Events are subject to change

Resources & Activities

Explore the wonders of a rock pool (web guide)
Rock Pooling Guide (web guide)
MCS Fun and learning (web learning resource)
2 MinuteBeach School!
Sands of LIFE project work at Newborough (in-depth look)
Sands of LIFE project work at Pembrey Burrows (in-depth look)
Natura 2000 - Vibrant Seas
Marine life in the coastal water of the Llŷn Peninsula

Full list of events can be found here

4th June Theme of the day: Urban

10am Introduction to the day Vee Brannovic (short film)
10:30 Live event. Urban safari with Vee Brannovic exploring urban habitats around Cwmbran (short film)
Green walls at Dusty Forge Cardiff (short film) Green walls are a great way to bring nature into built up areas. As well as providing a home for wildlife, they help remove pollution from the air, soak up carbon and water and are visually appealing. In this short film specially commissioned for Wales Nature Week, we get the lowdown on a green wall project in Cardiff.

Details of events and how you can participate to follow. Further events to follow.

Resources & Activities
Making a micro wildlife pond (short film)
Where to see urban wildlife (web guide)

Full list of events can be found here

5th June Theme of the day: LNP showcase
Celebrating Local Places for Nature Projects across Wales! Local Nature Partnerships are active across the whole of Wales- today we showcase their work and how you can get involved in giving nature a boost in your local area! Get in touch with your Local Nature Partnership today!

Look out for infographics, maps and other information we will be sharing with you on our social media channels

Resources & Activities
LNP Cymru project

7pm Using Your Ears" Bat Detector Workshop -fees apply

Full list of events can be found here

6th June: Theme of the day: Well-being and nature
And relax! Nature is wonderful for our well-being. We'll be sharing tips and tricks for you to relax and be inspired by nature and our green spaces.

10:00 Introduction to Nature and Well-being day from Tirion Jenkins, Time to Change Wales

3pm Five senses meditation with Judith Parry, Valleys Steps. Judith from Valleys Steps helps us unwind and connect with our five senses in this video for Nature and Wellbeing day. Join the event live on Facebook here

Resources & Activities
Connecting with nature to improve your mental health
Mental Health Awareness Week podcasts, blogs and videos
Nature: How connecting with nature benefits our mental health
Mental Health Awareness Week Nature Journal
Five Senses Mindfulness Exercise (Coed Lleol web resource)
Health and well-being in the outdoors (NRW web guide)
Shinrin-yoku

Full list of events can be found here