In March last year, it felt like the world stopped and in some ways it did.There were very little cars on the roads, shops closed and we were told to stay indoors except for our one daily walk. It is during this time that so many found solace in nature. Suddenly with the new, slower pace of life, nature was able to stand up and welcome us with open arms.
In Wales, the Wildlife Trusts manage over 200 nature reserves. From the coastal beauty of Anglesey to breath-taking hills in Brecon and little parcels of green in urban Newport. Chances are, you’re never very far from a Wildlife Trust nature reserve.
But with all this land, comes management. Wildlife Trust staff work tirelessly to manage these green havens for the benefit of nature and visitors alike. Staff like Chris Wynne, Senior Reserves Manager at North Wales Wildlife Trust can often be found arranging hedge laying, balsam bashing and doing anything else you can think of which may benefit a nature reserve and its wild residents.
Last year was a difficult year for many, including the Wildlife Trusts in Wales. With so much income generation dependant on tourism it is easy to see why many Wildlife Trust staff were furloughed for much of 2020. But nature will not manage itself. Thankfully, Natural Resources Wales offered a lifeline to the Welsh Trusts in the form of the Strategic Allocation Fund grant. Without this vital grant, essential nature reserve management would not have been possible, and Wales may have been a little less wild as a result.
