Thursday 28 April 2016

Last minute Path Repair before our #BagsOfHelp project - Friday 29th April at 10am.

Date: Friday 29th April 2016
Time: 10am - 1pm
Meet: Car Park off Birch Grove, NP44 6EP
Activity: Path Repair:  We're building from last week's oath repair work to make the access route for our #BagsOfHelp project (taking place Wed 4th and Sat 7th May) easier for the 16 tonnes of limestone we'll be translocating by wheelbarrows.

Last week we dug two trenches and sumps to take water away from the wheel track erosion. One of these we filled with gravel and the other we left exposed, but covered by warning signs.


We've spent a further £54 on stone which we will use to fill up the other trench and sump and then we'll be barrowing more stone just to make the natural dip a little firmer for next week's activities.

Bring: Clothing suitable for outdoor work ready for the bizarre weather we've been experiencing - wellies advised.

Beavering away for Keep Wales Tidy's Clean Coast Week

We had a lovely Clean Coast Week event with the 1st Henllys Beavers on Henllys LNR this week. The 11 Beavers and 10 adults got really stuck into the areas in and adjacent to our watercourses on the LNR. Altogether we collected 2 full rubbish bags and 3 full recycling bags, which will be recycled, saving this from going to landfill. The 3 bags of recycling was almost all plastics with only 6 metal cans, 1 can of deodorant and 4 glass bottles, and a newspaper amongst the other recycling we collected. All this material in flooding could end up in the sea some 16 miles downstream.


Sadly there were quite a few dog poo bags which had been thrown in the vegetation, but we also removed those. Thanks to Gareth Davies, Keep Wales Tidy's Project Officer for Cardiff for lending us some kit for the event, and Sian at TCBC for arranging to remove the 2 litter bags. Thanks also to Julie for getting in touch and offering the help of the Beavers.

We had a chance to show the beavers some of the wildflowers growing along the stream banks and it is looking lovely. everyone had a good time, got a bit of exercise and felt good afterwards knowing we did a little bit towards keeping our Welsh coast a little cleaner. One day we may go and do a beach clean.

Tuesday 26 April 2016

Henllys LNR Clean Coast Week 2016 Event - Tue 26th at 6pm

Friends of Henllys Local Nature Reserve are joining in with Welsh Clean Coast Week 2016 with a stream clean up on Tue 26th May at 6pm. We are meeting on the LNR car park, just off Birch Grove, NP44 6EP.

This is the 3rd year we have run one of these events and you may ask why we are taking part in Clean Coast Week? Well, the water which passes through the Henllys Local Nature Reserve ends up in the sea, some 16 miles downstream from us after passing along the Nant y Milwr, Dowlais Brook, Afon Llwd and finally the River Usk, So even though we are not on the coast itself, we are doing our bit to help clean up our coast.

Did you know that over 80% of marine litter comes from land based activities, so we are joining in and doing our bit too. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/pollution/

You are more than welcome to join in with us. Please let us know via friendsofhenllyslnr@gmail.com and just bring wellies. All other equipment will be provided.

Our local Beavers' Group, 1st Henllys Beavers will be joining us too, so it'll be busy. We're also aiming to recycle as much as possible and anything we can't recycle will be taken away by TCBC.

The trail of litter from the streams that pass through Henllys LNR to sea water is shown in the map below, you may have to zoom in and out a bit.


View Clean Coast Week Event on Henllys LNR in a larger map