Green Connections Project Resources

Pollinators insects are a critical part of our ecosystem, but what can we do to support them?  To aid in this, our staff on the Green Connections project have put together a pollinator toolkit to help people identify and support these vital species.  

An additional document has also been created to suggest yet more plants that can be added to your gardens to attract and support many pollinating insect species, as well as links to additional resources if you want to expand your knowledge further.  

If you would like to read either of these documents (in English or Welsh), please click the links below:

In this section, you can find a collection of habitat toolkits created by the Green Connections teams, containing useful information on providing suitable habitat for the species mentioned.  

If you are interested, click the links below to view the full habitat toolkits:

This helpful little leaflet provides a compact guide to tree planting for both woodland and farmland areas.  To view it in both English and Welsh, please click the relevant links below: 

Do you have any interest in starting a community group, or have you been considering asking Volunteers to perform practical work on your land?  This report, kindly put together by our colleague Caroline Gellor, aims to provide an easy guide through the process, aiding you through the sometimes thorny processes of legislation, health and safety, and risk assessments.  

To find out more, please feel free to take a look at the report below, alongside a number of supplementary documents that may be of use:

Due to inconsistent reports of native white-clawed crayfish in both Brecknockshire and Radnorshire, and the threats presented by both invasive signal crayfish and crayfish plague, a study was conducted by the Green Connections team into the population extent of both native and non-native crayfish species across Powys, as well as the prevalence of Crayfish plague in the same area. 

Using eDNA samples taken from major water sources in both areas, the study found that White-clawed crayfish populations are much more prevalent in Radnorshire, with only limited evidence of signal crayfish and crayfish plague found in Brecknock.  More studies are needed however before any conclusions can be drawn from this data. 

To learn more about this topic, please see the full report below, courtesy of our colleague Megan Abram:

This feasibility study, commissioned by the Green Connections Project, investigates local opportunities for collaborations between small/medium enterprises (SMEs), farmers, contractors, lifestyle landowners and volunteers to deliver improved habitat management and provide mutual benefits.  

Also included are a number of secondary resources that may be of use, which can be found alongside the study below: 

The rare plants reintroduction pilot study, in partnership with the Rare Plants Nursery, has been highly successful in reintroducing a number of rare plants back into sites in Powys, and has highlighted the importance of rare plant reintroductions in conserving biodiversity. 

To read more about each species reintroduced in this study and to read the conclusions on greater detail, please click the link below to view the full report:

With Communities in Powys increasingly aware of the dangers of climate change and biodiversity loss, and more likely to seek advice on how to take action in their local area, this feasibility study was commissioned by Green Connections Powys to ascertain whether or not there is a market for small-scale growing of local providence native plants for pollinators.

For the consumers interviewed, a strong support was found for the growing of local providence plants for parks and gardens, but retailers interviewed generally stated that they would need strong evidence of market demand, as well as a readily available supply of peat-free compost and local seed.

To read about the study in more detail, please click below to access the full report:

Since the 1930's, Wales has lost 97% of it's wildflower meadows and species rich grasslands.  This loss, combined with the importance of these habitats, has led to the formation of this case study by Green Connections Powys, aiming to assess the effectiveness of various methods of seed collection and dispersal.  In addition, the study aims to establish the cost effectiveness of these techniques, and how much landowners could charge for meadow seed or seed-rich green hay. 

To read the full Case Study, please click the link below:

This report, by Gwyn Jones and Simon Spencer, is a scoping study focusing on three Powys commons: the Begwns in South Radnorshire, and  the Golfa and the Forchas in East Montgomeryshire. 

The move away from the common agricultural policy of the EU affords an opportunity to trial new approaches that can deliver better results for both policy and farmers.  This report aims to assess the viability of results-based payments scoring methodology in Wales, suggests any adjustments to these systems, ascertain the interest of current graziers in participating in a pilot program, and to assess any potential issues that may arise.

To read the full report, please click the link below:

A group of follow-up studies to 'Exploring Collaborative Habitat Land Management in Powys', which can be read above, the following reports build on the results of this study and provide one-to-one facilitation for small landowners and land management contractors within the vice-counties of Breconshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire, with the aim of creating sustainable relationships between services and service providers to bring about better habitat management. 

Special thanks to Mark Ward (MAES Services), Helen Barnes, and Gwenan Ellis for their work on these reports, which can be read by clicking on the relevant links below:

This informative talk by renowned Swift Expert Edward Meyer goes into detail on Swifts, the threats they face, and what we can do to aid them in their plight.  If you have any interest in the subject, then it is definitely worth a watch.

Come watch Issy Griffith's (NRW) and John Spill's (Plantlife) informative talk about the new project in Powys, focusing on some mini-wonders of Mid-Wales and the Welsh borders including beetles, flies, lichens and fungi associated with old trees. Plus the mosses and liverworts that make the dry rocky outcrops of the Welsh border home.

This workshop, led by Sarah Barnsley, Hedgerow Officer with the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), covers a number of topics, ranging from the importance of hedges to wildlife and people, to healthy hedgerow structure and management.  It also includes an introduction to the Healthy Hedgerows app and its uses. 

An introduction to The Big Meadow Search, a UK wide project developed by Carmarthenshire Meadows Group to raise awareness & record meadows.

Come and watch this fantastic online talk by Emma Williams, one of Wales’ leading Mycologists.

Find out about the diversity of our ancient waxcap grasslands and why recording these jewels of Welsh fungi is so important for conservation and land management decisions. With Emma’s enthusiasm for these colourful fungi you will discover the rudiments of waxcap identification.

This fantastic talk by Claire Whittle from Dung Beetles for Farmers teaches us more about a critical part of our agricultural landscapes and the benefits to soil quality and structure that dung beetles bring, as well as the key threats that they face and what we can do to prevent their decline. 

While this talk could not be recorded, please take a look at this recording of a talk given by Claire at a previous event:

The Green Connections Powys Project was a massive undertaking, with three separate Wildlife Trusts coming together to achieve it.  

This comprehensive report, put together by our amazing staff and containing a number of reports and case studies, details the aims, objectives, and successes of the Green Connections Project, providing an excellent resource for anyone interested in its outcomes. 

To read the full report, simply click the link below: 

This final evaluation report, conducted by Tony Little of the Gwlad Consortium, assesses the extent of the project and it's overall impact, both in terms of short-term impacts, and projected long-term results.  

To read the report in full, please click the link below: