Over the summer we have been entertaining a number of high profile visitors. In late May a party of more than 50 volunteer rangers travelled from 2 National Parks in Belgium and France to see what we have been up to over the last 2 years. They were taken on an archaeology walk to see the conservation work we have been doing and they splashed about at the Garn Lakes reedbed creation site helping to plant more reeds. They were impressed and have invited us to visit them next year so that we can exchange even more ideas. One of their initiatives is to train volunteer wardens as guided walk leaders. These leaders are trained up to become very knowledgeable about specific trails and they take parties of up to 25 walkers out for half a day. The charge per party is 60 Euros. This covers the volunteer warden’s costs and provides much needed income to help care for and promote the heritage landscape. If you are interested please drop our volunteer coordinator a line: sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk or call her on 01495 742335.
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| European National Park Volunteer Wardens enjoying the mud as they plant reeds |
We have also been selected for inclusion in a Heritage Lottery Fund film which will promote the Landscape Partnership Programme as part of the launch of its new strategy. This is a real honour as only 9 landscape partnerships from across the UK have been selected for inclusion.
HLF has also recently appointed a new chair for its Welsh Panel. Dr Manon Williams visited in June, met the team and some of our volunteers and was shown the wide range of activities FLP is engaged in.
Finally, Sarah Lewis entertained a party of Polish visitors who are hoping to establish volunteer schemes along the lines FLP is developing in collaboration with The Conservation Volunteers (Formerly BTCV).
Then, of course, there’s Garn Lakes Country Fair, the National Eisteddfod, Abergavenny Good Festival……….
