Rhyl Pupils thanked for community nature support

Rhyl pupils have been sent a big thank you for their part in helping create a new nature haven.

Last year, pupils from Ysgol Bryn Hedydd alongside other community volunteers assisted Denbighshire County Council Countryside Rangers at the new Llys Brenig Community Nature Space within the Park View Estate to plant 1,885 trees, a mix of native broadleaved varieties appropriate for the local conditions.

The capital works phase of the development of the Community Nature Space adjacent to Ffordd Elan Park has been completed this month, along with three other Community Nature Spaces established by the Council at St Asaph, Henllan and Clocaenog.

The Rhyl project also involved the creation of a pond and wetland area to support local wildlife, installation of new fences around the pond and around the site boundary, and, to allow local residents to connect with nature on their doorstep, construction of footpaths and installation of benches.

The Community Nature Spaces Project, together with woodland creation at two sites in the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape and at several schools throughout the county, received funding from a £800,000 grant awarded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.

This work supports the drive to reduce the county’s carbon footprint by contributing to the amount of carbon sequestered (or absorbed) by trees and to encourage nature recovery to help counter the loss and fragmentation of habitats.  Woodland creation, nature recovery and biodiversity enhancement are key actions in Denbighshire County Council’s Climate and Nature Strategy to address the heating climate and nature crisis, which led to the Authority declaring a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Environment and Transport celebrated the efforts of the pupils and other volunteers during a visit to the site on Friday last week with Chair of the Council, local ward members, representatives from the Rhyl Town Council and the local Member of Parliament.

The councillors saw first-hand how the features within the Nature Space had been created and heard from rangers how the area was already starting to flourish.

Cllr Mellor said: “I had a great experience working with Ysgol Bryn Hedydd pupils last year to plant tree at this community nature space. Their efforts were fantastic and they and all who helped should be very proud of the work they have done to help their local nature and community.

“It’s also so fantastic to see this site thriving already after all the hard work that everyone involved with the area put into the acquisition of this land. We’ve seen the ducks and an egret visit the wetlands last year and good early signs of a wide variety of wildflowers. We are looking forward to seeing more habitat develop and more wildlife setting up home this season in what is a great asset for the community.”

“I can’t wait to see the local community enjoy coming to spend time connecting with nature as it will really help their mental and physical wellbeing and enable them to learn about local wildlife.  I hope that the school pupils, as the first of future generations, will be able to watch with pride how their trees mature, and the site evolves for many years to come.”

In conjunction with nearby sites at Maes Gwilym, The Green, Fern Way and the adjacent park at Ffordd Elan, Llys Brenig contributes to a network of green spaces to help provide wildlife corridors within the suburban neighbourhoods of East Rhyl.  The nature space will in time also give other community benefits such as improved air quality, urban heat cooling, and an area of interest for education.