Wardens Blog

Spent today cutting out nest-box building kits with Paul for the National Park open day on Saturday

Another litter pick - this time on the A4059 between the Beacons reservoir and Hirwaun. We were helped by a group of around 10 volunteers and in total collected around 200 bags of rubbish/recycling and 150 tyres.

Today we where planning to go up to Waun Fignen Felen with a group of people from the environment agency but had a change of plan with the weather being so bad. Instead we went up to the Black Mountain and picked litter along the A4069 between Brynaman and Llangadog. We collected quite a few bags of rubbish and a lot of tyres. Tyres seem to be a big problem and it seems that the problem is  being exacerbated by the fact that people are charged to dispose of tyres. When we took all the tyres we’d collected to the recycling centre they refused to take them, however in the end a local school offered to take them off our hands. We’re going to go and help them make them into seating for an outdoor reading area in a few weeks time.

Seconded Wyn in leading a walk today. The walk followed a series of public footpath on a circular route from Gwynfe village. Along the route we passed the Forestry Comission sauna - Banya 17. Located in Pen Arthur Forest near Llangadog this remote sauna was built with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle within the local population. It’s completely secluded and has a barbeque area, spring fed pool and toilet facilities - definitely going to try and book it for friends and family for a day!

Today I received training for using Pro Printer from the fabulous Chris from IT. This is a computer program that enables the user - among other things - to zoom in to field scale on maps, add layers such as RoW (rights of way), SSSI’s and boundaries and measure areas and distances. I’ll mainly be using it when waymarking to make sure I’m marking exactly the right route.

Talking of the IT team I should say that Kevin and Rhys - my two best friends in the whole wide world - have been fantastically helpful and supportive in the last few weeks and have bought me lots of lovely gadgets which among other things will assist in the creation of this blog. So thanks boys you truly are the greatest!

Most of today was spent walking around mynydd Illtyd - the common land surrounding the mountain centre in Libanus. We visited a small pond feature which was being invaded by pond weed. Paul - the chief ecologist for the park - said the best treatment was to wait until the pond had dried out in the summer then dig it out. The weed is a highly invasive non-native species originating from garden ponds and can soon block out any sunlight for other species.

The area supports semi-natural acid grassland and the main issue in this area is the encroachment of bracken and gorse. There are various methods used to control the bracken but because it is common land and there are grasziers rights it can be difficult to manage. Ideally the area would be grazed by welsh mountain ponies or a hardy (and people friendly) breed of cattle as they are better at grazing the gorse and poaching the ground. The levels of grazing have fallen in recent years - particularly after the foot and mouth epidemic - and this has exacerbated the braken and gorse problem.

Gorse can be chemically treated with a weed killer that specifically targets woody growth, or it can be cut. Bracken should never be burnt as the seeds thrive after being heated. Bracken can be rolled, cut or treated with chemicals. The general regime is to roll for three consequtive years and the aim is to starve the woody rhizomes. If the ground is to bumpy or the bracken is to short and bushy (which tends to happen in the 2nd year of growth) then cutting can be more effective. Another issue that was discussed was that any control regime is expensive and as soon as the money dries up and control stops the bracken and gorse will soon re-establish.

Later on in the day we saw some small pearl bordered fritillary caterpillars on some bracken and also a common newt - which can be distingished from other newts by the stringy bit on the end of it’s tail and it’s spots. Males can be distingushed from females by the huge set of testicles at the base of their tail!  

First day at work!

In the morning we met at Cwm Porth caves for a caving session (SN928124). Our cave leader was Garry a CIC holder (Cave Instructor Certificate) who works on the cave rescue team. We spent several hours down the caves exploring and learning about the geology.

The caves are formed from Carboniforous Limestone - a rock formed some 350 million years ago from crustacious species in tropical conditions which appear in this part of the world due to the movement of tectonic plates. Splits can be see in the rock in various places and it is these cracks and fissures that eventually form the tunnels in the caves after being eroded by carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is formed when rain falling in the locality absorbs carbon monioxide from the air creating a mild carbonic acid solution. The cracks and fissures can be initially created through tectonic plate movement or by the pull of the moons gravity.

 Two interesting routes/activites in the cave for groups where the ‘toilet’ and the ‘washing machine’. There was also a route called the ‘toothpaste tube’ which could not be used as it has dried up in recent years despite efforts to dam it to keep the water at a suitable level. Another interesting feature was ‘the white horse’ - a horse shaped patch of Calcite streaking near the cave enterance. The cave is popular with groups as you are never very far from the cave enterance and becasue it floods ever year it receives a ‘clean out’ and the cave enterance is also within easy walking distance of the car park, however the cave can become very overcrowded at times because of these factors.

In the afternoon me, Jon and the two work experience boys went to look at the waterfalls in Clun Gwyn. This is the first waterfall on the Afon Mellte which later downstream disappears underground into Porth yr Ogof cave system.