Goytre Wood: our new community woodland in Wales!
We are thrilled to announce that we have acquired 70 acres of land in Powys, Wales! This land has been attained through the generosity of our donors and backers, and will now be used to contribute to our charity’s aims of protecting and promoting our natural environment.
The land comprises 20 acres of existing woodland and 50 acres of upland pasture. It is located in a temperate rainforest region on the Welsh side of the England-Wales border, overlooking the beautiful Shropshire Hills.
At this early stage, we are seeking consultation from the local community on how the land can be best used to balance benefits for the community, carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
It’s likely that some of the land will be planted with native tree and shrub species – we are in discussion with Radnorshire Wildlife Trust and other local conservation groups on ideas to create great habitat for wildlife – and some of the land may be reserved for conservation grazing.
We are committed to ensuring community input for any strategic decision regarding how the site is used. For the moment, we’ll be putting in more paths for people to explore the nature on their doorstep, as well as some new benches from which to enjoy the exquisite views. Rest assured; public access will remain paramount.
Our ecologist Steve Wiltshire knows this area well, having himself grown up in Shropshire. Whatever we decide for the site, he’ll be helping us to ensure we work with the best local partners, contractors and suppliers. We recently wrote about our commitment to planting “local native” saplings, which can only mean hiring and buying locally.
We’re so excited to get stuck in! This being a temperate rainforest region, we can already see patches of evidence – in the hedgerows, the Old Man’s Beard, the various lichens – of what this place could be, and what it once was. It would be our privilege to connect up the fragments of this globally rare, nature-rich habitat.
If you live nearby and would like to chat to us, please get in touch.
Happy trails,
The Protect Earth Team
