30 Days Wild

@Dani Cox.jpg

THIS June for the whole month, every day, everybody, everywhere, will be encouraged to enjoy nature on their doorstep, as well as the ‘great outdoors’. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) will be inspiring ‘Random Acts of Wildness’, practical, fun and quirky ideas that will connect people with the wild around them. 

Meander along a river bank, dance in a downpour, record a wild ringtone, meditate in a meadow or simply sip a glass of wine as the sun goes down and appreciate your garden. People can spend a few minutes, or a few hours each day enjoying nature - how they do it is up to them.

This year 30 Days Wild is revelling in the glory of traditional meadows which bloom with wildflowers in June. 'Unimproved' pastures and meadows with their characteristic wealth of wild plants and animals are rare and fragmented - occupying just 5% of the area that they occupied in 1945. The Wildlife Trusts care for many that can be visited and enjoyed.

Apply for a FREE 30 Days Wild pack at www/welshwildlife.org/30-days-wild/, download the phone app or look online for those inspirational Random Acts of Wildness.  Share the fun of #30DaysWild on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. WTSWW will be running wild events for all the family throughout June.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Easter Bunny Adventure

Rabbit juvenile - Richard Bowler

Spend your Easter with a truly wild Easter bunny!

Skomer Island is renowned for its breath-taking #wildlife and stunning scenery. People come from all over the world to witness the waddling walk of a Puffin and hear the mysterious calls of the Manx Shearwaters. With dolphin sightings from the cliffs, perching razorbills and the slender guillemot, the island really is a true wildlife haven to behold.

But what some visitors may often be surprised about when visiting #Skomer is the abundance of rabbits on the island, and the diversity of colours within them. From an ordinary sandy brown right through to white collared rabbits and even black rabbits, the variety is intriguing.

Rabbits were introduced to Skomer around 700 years ago by the Normans and the island was used as a rabbit farm, or coney island.  Skomer rabbits only produce one litter, usually in April, consisting of about three kittens (baby rabbits).

Rabbits have numerous positive effects for nature conservation on Skomer and they have a three main beneficial effects in maintaining Skomer’s wildlife diversity:

Puffin & Rabbit - Charles Thody

1. Although Manx Shearwaters and Puffins can dig their own burrows, they will also use old rabbit burrows as well.

2. By keeping the vegetation low when eating rabbits allow plants to have access to light which increases the botanical diversity of the island.

3. In good rabbit years it is thought that less seabirds are predated upon by the islands top predators.

April is also a special time on the island for seabirds, especially Puffins as they will return to land where their courtship takes place. The bonus of staying overnight is that at this time of year, Puffins will often spend their days out at sea and then return to Skomer in the evenings, sometimes putting on a spectacular wheeling display in North Haven.

So why not spend Easter on an island surrounded by rabbits and Skomer’s truly amazing wildlife! April is a great time to visit the island and watch as the Puffins settle into their summer houses. 

To book a stay on Skomer this spring call 01656 724100.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

We’ve got a nature reserve for you . . .

THE WILDLIFE TRUST of South and West Wales (WTSWW) has launched four promotional videos about the wild places and experiences people can enjoy on its reserves.

The first video focuses on a variety of WTSWW reserves, including Parc Slip in Bridgend, Melin Cwrt Falls in Neath Port Talbot, Taf Fechan in Merthyr, and The Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran. The second features Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, the third is about Skomer Island, and the fourth features Skokholm Island, a thriving marine nature reserve surrounded by reefs and rich seas. The island supports a variety of wildlife including thousands of sea birds such as puffins and Manx shearwaters, a large population of storm petrels, Guillemots, and Razorbills.

The trusts’s marketing and communication officer, Rebecca Vincent, says: ‘We hope the videos will show local people what we do and give them a small glimpse into the abundance of wildlife that we fight so hard to protect. We would like to thank Visit Wales’ Partnership 4 growth scheme for giving us the opportunity to produce these videos.’

The videos are now available to view at …

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WildlifetrustSouthandWestWales 

Twitter: @WRSW
Instagram: WildlifeTrustSWW
YouTube: www.youtube.com/theWTSWW
Website: www.welshwildlife.org

The trust currently manages some 85 nature reserves throughout South and West Wales.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Puffins via photopin.com