The Royal Welsh show has been an annual event in Wildlife Trusts Wales' calendar, consitently demonstrating itself to be an important moment to engage with our farming communities and politicians, and this year was no different. Even bigger and better than before, 11 talks were hosted over 4 days addressing a multitude of subjects in the environmental and agricultural fields.
After hosting 11 popular talks in partnership with organisations across Wales, Wildlife Trusts Wales are happy to call this years Royal Welsh a big success!
Monday
The first day of the show is often a busy one with big events hosted by many of the shows attendees, with Wildlife Trusts Wales also hosting some important talks addressing topics that could see big changes in the nature and agricultural sector.
Talk 1
Farming at the Sweet Spot - for happier, healthier, and wealtheir farming
Description - A new report by the Wildlife Trusts and Nature Friendly Farming Network on how farming for nature's recovery can increase your profits.
Farming at the sweet spot report talk - Royal Welsh 23 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
Farming at the Sweet Spot offers a roadmap to an alternative future. It shows that change is possible and is already happening, with many farmers looking for a new model for farming. By embracing this approach, it is possible to revolutionise our relationship with the land, bring nature back, mitigate climate change, and secure a prosperous future for our farmers. The talk delved into some of the reprorts findings and explored how these changes could be implemented.
Get your copy of the report today
Talk 2
A Consensus on Food, Farming, and Nature in Wales
Description - Nature Conservation and Access to the Countryside organisations along with representatives from the Welsh Organic Farming sector talk about building a consensus between nature conservation, access, and farming.
A consensus on food and farming - Royal Welsh talk 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
A group of farmers and environmental organisations met in the margins of the 2023 Oxford farming conferences to forge a consensus on a way forward for farming, recognising the huge pressures that many farming sectors are currently experiencing. Finding the common themes between sectors is an important task to undertake, and helps bring people and organisations together to solve some of the biggest issues facing society.
Talk 3
Beyond Pesticides: Empowering Wales to live sustainably
Description - Young people from the Stand for Nature Wales project, together with gardener and Pestsmart ambassador for Dŵr Cymru Huw Richards discuss how Wales can become pesticide free.
Stand for Nature Wales Pestcide talk - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
In December 2022, the nations of the world came togehter to agree a new set of targets for natures recovery at a conference called COP15, with an agreement to reduce pesticide use 50% by 2030 included in the agreement. Though 50% has been agreed by Welsh Government, the original target of 80% is what passionate young people on Stand for Nature are asking for, and so this talk focussed on how that goal could be realised by the general public, Local Authorities, and polticians
The project has launched a campaign for people to become pestcide free at home, and you can find out about that pledge and resources linked to it below.
Tuesday
The agenda for day two of the Royal Welsh included species reintroduction, resourcing natures recovery, and importantly how the newly proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme needs to support the recovery of nature.
Talk 4
Return of the beaver?
Description - Benefits of bringing Wild Beavers back into our river systems
Beaver Reintroduction Talk - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
Beavers are known as ecosystem engineers meaning that they can change the habitat around them to suit their needs. Though this can sound like a negative consequence to their presence in a landscape, Beaver activities are incredibly beneficial to other wildlife due to their ability to create new wetland areas. Their benefits also extend directly to us in the shape of slowing water in streams to reduce flooding. Having been absent from our landscpaes for hundreds of years, this talk explored how we can bring them back with people and wildlife in mind.
Discover the Welsh Beaver Project
Talk 5
Resources for Nature restoration
Description - How do we get more resources to help natures recovery
Resourcing Nature Talk - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
Nature recovery is a vital task that we need to solve as a society, but it cannot be done without finding resources to put towards the recovery. Whether in the form of money, land given over to nature, or human effort, there needs to be a change in how society finds and utilises resources. Jake from the Pumlumon Project led this talk, and you can find out more about the initative below.
Talk 6
What Nature needs from the new Sustainable Farming Scheme
Description - Why the Sustainable Farming Scheme needs to address nature's recovery
Sustainable Farming Scheme Talk - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
The Sustainable Farming Scheme is a once in a lifetime opportunity here in Wales to change how we produce food without damaging nature but restoring it instead. The process has been a long one with stakeholders across the nation all contributing to what should be in the scheme and how it should be adminstered. This talk focussed specifically on the need for the scheme to consider natures recovery, and how our farmers should be encouraged and rewarded for activities that restore wildlife.
Wednesday
Famously the biggest day of the Royal Welsh show for the cobs, the schedule was just as full for Wildlife Trusts Wales with talks on nature friendly commercial forestry, achieving 30 by 30 in Powys, and what the future of farming might look like in Wales all taking to the stage.
Talk 7
Making Commercial forestry Nature Friendly
Description - Commercial forestry needs to be resilient and nature friendly - a talk on Continuous Cover Forestry
Commercial forestry talk - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
Commercial forestry covers a large area of land in Wales, and is often not considered in conversations with nature, though it could play a key role in supporting species recovery. This talk delved into how these areas could be managed for wildlife without losing their financial viability.
Find our tips for managing your woodland here
Talk 8
How can we achieve 30 by 30 in Powys together?
Description - Powys Nature Partnership lead a discussion about 30 by 30 in Powys
Powys 30 by 30 talk - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
Another agreeement from the COP15 discussions was a worldwide pledge to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, often referred to solely as 30 by 30. This target has been widely adopted by not only Governments but organisations and Local Authorities as well. This talk focussed on where the opportunities are in Powys to achieve this important goal.
Find out about the Powys Nature Partnership
Talk 9
Seeds of Change: The Future of Farming in Wales
Description - Young people discuss what agriculture might look like in the Wales of the future
Seeds of Change - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
The next generation is often left off of the biggest stages, but they will inherit the world that is left for them by the previous generation, and so must have a strong voice on those decisions that affect them. In this talk, the Stand for Nature Wales representatives took to the stage to talk about how they saw farming changing as we move into the future. One of our own young farmers present on the stage went into detail about how their farm is changing, and staff from Radnorshire Wildlife Trust talked about their experiences on the ground.
Discover the work of the Stand for Nature Wales project today
Thursday
After a busy week, we hosted two final talks on the last day of the Royal Welsh regarding White tailed eagle re-introduction with ERW, and a panel on the incredible Marches; an expanse spanning the border of Wales and England and an area that is important for our wildlife.
Talk 10
Restoring White-Tailed Eagles to Wales
Description - Bring back the native-lost White-Tailed Eagle to soar above the skies of Wales
Eagle Reintroduction Wales - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
Despite an abundance of suitable habitats for Eagles in Wales, the landscape has been bare of breeding eagles for over 150 years. Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW), led by Welsh Raptor Conservationist Dr. Sophie-lee Williams is gathering scientific evidence and collating a research case to present to statutory conservation agencies to restore these magnificent species back to their historic Welsh home. Sophie and a panel of experts focussed on this topic for the talk, exploring the feasability of bringing Eagles back to the Welsh countryside.
Learn more about the work of ERW today
Talk 11
Wilder Marches: Nature's Recovery for rural Prosperity
Description - One programme, two countries, three river catchments, and a partnership with land managers
Jenny Wilder Marches - Royal Welsh 2023 ©Wildlife Trusts Wales
This ground-breaking partnership, crossing county and country borders, has been established to safeguard and restore the unique and biodiverse landscape of the Wilder Marches; a 500ha landscape south of Bishops Castle and west of Ludlow market town of Shropshire, north of Whitney-on-Wye in Herefordshire and east of Llanbister, Powys. The vision is for a thriving natural world, where wildlife and natural habitats are playing a valued role in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies, and everyone is inspired to get involved in nature's recovery.