Volunteers invited to seek out the dragons of Porthkerry

The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Country Parks team are inviting volunteers to take part in a new project funded by Welsh Government’s Landfill Disposal Tax Community Scheme grant.

• Tuesday, 28 July 2020

  Vale of Glamorgan

Those interested will be encouraged to search the new ponds and meadows that have replaced the park’s golf course for flourishing wildlife.
 
The project is particularly keen to promote the park’s iconic ‘dragon’ species - dragonflies, newts and adders.
 
The former golf course suffered from significant flooding throughout its lifetime, leaving it largely unplayable.
 
Last year, it became part of a re-wilding project with the aim of improving the biodiversity of the site and increasing the number of species such as pollinators, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals.
 

“The Dragons in our Park project aims to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of habitats, species and the role they play in mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss.
 
“Volunteers should photograph whatever they find in the habitats and are welcome to try and identify the species. The best photos will feature on the park’s website and all records will help demonstrate the project’s progress.
 
“Our volunteers will also be hosting a celebratory event, establishing a new learning area for schools and providing training and surveying for these species within the community.” - Porthkerry Country Park site ranger and project manager, Melanie Stewart.

To enter your submissions, or if you’d like to discover more about the Dragons of Porthkerry or would like to help carry out surveys around the park and along the coast, please email:

• porthkerry@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk