Big thank you to WWBIC and Richard & Kath Pryce for undertaking phase 1 habitat and botanical surveys at the nature reserve yesterday. Great day and lots of new records and ideas for the site. Highlights were Meadow Thistle and Petty Whin. Thanks to all involved.

The latest edition of INCC's quarterly newsletter will be out soon. The newsletter is a way of keeping up to date with some of our work and projects. The newsletter is free of charge, and if you would like to sign up, please do so by visiting our website: natureconservation.wales/projects/

It can be a little dispiriting at times looking for water voles in Wales. They are now so rare that you can go days without seeing any signs. But Not Today. Lots of foodpiles, latrines and burrows in some fantastic upland habitat.

The new edition of Natur Cymru will be hitting doormats soon! This edition covers sand dunes, woodland birds, Important Invertebrate Areas and more. Watch this space!

To mark the end of 🐛#WalesNatureWeek, we are holding the Vale’s 1st nature festival! The tipi is up and we look forward to welcoming you to Porthkerry Park tomorrow (11am-4pm)! 🦋 🐞bit.ly/valenaturefest… #ValeNature Restore the Thaw Landscape Vale Council 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇺🇦

Huge thank you to Bridgend College Conservation Volunteers who are undertaking a 21 mile hike along the Penrhys Pilgrimage Way to raise funds for INCC and our Water Vole conservation project in the area. Please donate if you can. Thank you. justgiving.com/page/eliza-cha…

Had a great time today pulling up Himalayan Balsam with our partner ⁦Canopy & Stars⁩ on their staff volunteering day in ⁦Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park⁩ 😀 Thanks to ⁦INCC⁩ for hosting on their new nature site and showing us the source of the river Loughor.

A big thank you to Canopy & Stars, Campaign for National Parks and West Wales Rivers Trust for helping with Himalayan Balsam clearance at the nature reserve in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park . We made a huge dent in it, including removing it from the source of the Llwchwr. We also found some wonderful Usnea articulata.

The wildlife garden is full of colour at the moment and its a great place to spend an evening pottering. Loads of Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil around the pond and Purple Loosestrife flowering in the damper areas of the meadow. Devil's-bit Scabious and Fleabane to flower soon.

Big thanks to WWF Cymru 🌏 for helping us run a bioblitz at the reserve this weekend. Lots of new records for the site and it was great to show people oak trees covered in Usnea articulata lichen. Big thanks to all who came along, especially Bruce Langridge and Garden Of Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gardd Cymru.

Lovely day at our wildlife garden on Saturday with West Wales Rivers Trust looking at some of the freshwater invertebrates that share our rivers and streams in the Amman Valley. Big thank you to everyone for coming along.

Yn y rhifyn cyfredol o Natur Cymru, mae Moyrah Gall ac ymddiriedolwr INCC, Dr Jim Vafidis, yn ysgrifennu am ddefnyddio technoleg o bell fel dronau i gefnogi mapio cynefinoedd a phenderfyniadau rheoli tir ar gyfer cadwraeth. I ddysgu mwy a thanysgrifio: bit.ly/NaturCymru2024

In the current edition of Natur Cymru, Moyrah Gall and INCC trustee Dr Jim Vafidis write about using remote technology like drones to support habitat mapping and land-management decision making for conservation. To learn more and subscribe: bit.ly/NaturCymru2024

As part of our research into Water Voles in upland Wales we have been installing cameras in artificial burrows so that we can observe some behaviour. We have learned that they squabble a lot..... and that they love grapes Vattenfall UK PyC Community Fund BBC Wales News Lost Peatlands Project/Prosiect Adfer Mawndiroedd

The arable margins at the farm we have been advising on in the Vale of Glamorgan are looking their best at the moment. Up to 6-8m wide of seed producing arable annuals such as Fat Hen to help support the local population of Yellowhammer and other farmland birds and insects.

Lovely day yesterday with volunteers surveying for Water Voles in the uplands above the Rhondda and Afan Valleys. No voles but lots of good habitat so hopefully they will find their way there in time. Thank you to all the volunteers for helping out.

Big thank you to volunteers from WSP for helping with wildlife recording at the nature reserve last week. Lots of good ideas for the reserve and lots more records. Highlights were a Hobby and this Lunar Hornet moth.

Last week saw the reintroduction of Water Voles to the River Thaw in the Vale of Glamorgan thanks to a partnership between INCC WildlifeTrustSWWales 🦡🐬 SWERT Restore the Thaw Landscape & Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru | Natural Resources Wales. The project follows years of habitat restoration and mink control. Huge thank you to the local landowner.

📢Hot off the press📢 Our Marsh Fritillary guide book is now out. Learn all about our experiences of reinforcing / reintroducing a Marsh Fritillary population in South Wales. Hard Copy available to buy at: natureconservation.wales/shop-3/ PDF available at: natureconservation.wales/projects/

An important day for our Marsh Fritillaries today. Two new rearing pens installed and both now full of winter bedding ready for hibernation. Lots of caterpillars to feed before hibernation, so lots more scabious plants added as well. natureconservation.wales/shop-3/