Natur Cymru

Issue 37 Winter 2010

High Brown Fritillary (c) Jim Asher/Butterfly Conservation Read inside...

Riding high - saving the High Brown Fritillary

Butterflies are a barometer of environmental health, and the historic decline of all our fritillary species offers a stark warning about the deteriorating state of butterfly-rich habitats. Yet one species has recovered against the odds, a tribute to the energy and interest of landowners, organisations and volunteers. RUSSEL HOBSON and RICHARD SMITH tell the story of the recovery of Wales’ last population of the High Brown Fritillary.

Summaries

We're on a road to nowhere?

The distinctive character of much of Wales, with its mountain blocks and deep valleys, means that straight linear roads are hard to fit in. Road transport solutions which are appropriate for other places may make little sense here, and imposing them can do terrible environmental damage. Yet political claims to be creating a sustainable future for Wales look hollow in the face of a road-building scheme in mid-Wales, as JULIAN JONES reports.

Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa, Glaslyn (c) Mike Alexander

Morfa Glaslyn - 200 years after the Cob was built

Two hundred years have passed since William Maddocks built the Cob across the Glaslyn Estuary. This development had a profound and far-reaching influence on the area’s landscape, nature, economy and society. TWM ELIAS described the changes that took place in the nineteenth century and explains the changes that still happen today as a result of the river’s dynamic processes in a restricted estuary.

www.cob200.com

This article is written in Welsh. Read a translation here.

Funnelly enough - a personal fungi foray

Another runner-up to our Inspired by Nature competition. BRUCE LANGRIDGE tells how he was draw into the fascinating world of fungi.

Morfa Abererch shingle beach (c) Ivor Rees

Shingle - its value for wildlife and ecosystem services

Shingle beaches are fascinating places with their own unique flora and fauna. They also perform a great service, absorbing wave energy and protecting the coast from erosion. We should make full use of the ecosystem services they provide, argues IVOR REES.

Worlds apart - the life of amphibians

Existing betwixt and between land and water, amphibians are a remarkable legacy of evolutionary history. Most of us will encounter from time to time at least some of the half dozen species we have in Wales; knowing more about their intimate life-cycles can only add to their fascination. ZIGGY OTTO takes us on a tour of Welsh amphibians and discusses the challenges faces their conservation.

Lake Vyrnwy (c) Ben Hall rspb-images.com

Lake Vyrnwy - environment on the market

The sale of the Lake Vyrnwy Estate has attracted interest from around Wales and beyond. RSPB Cymru is one of the main partners working at the Estate. DELYTH WILLIS recounts the charity’s long involvement at the reserve and the challenges presented by a change of ownership

Return of the Welsh Specklebellies

Three rare rainforest lichens have been recorded in Snowdonia in the past, but with continued exposure to acid rain, were they still there? Thanks to his need to 'get away from it all' despite (or because of) his pin-striped suit, RAY WOODS went off the beaten track and happened upon the Norwegian Specklebelly. Here he recounts his dogged search for the others.

The Natural Environmental Framework – opportunity or threat?

In the light of failed biodiversity targets, few would argue that environmental policy in Wales and its institutions could not be made more effective and better integrated across Government and all sectors. With the publication of the Consultation Document A Living Wales, we have a chance to comment on a new framework for the Welsh environment. We should seize that opportunity, argues MIKE ALEXANDER, and help shape the document to fully reflect the importance of conservation values and achievements.