Wild Flower Meadow at Pentwyn Farm Reserve. Credit Joe Ryder.
Art in Penallt - Wildlife Journaling Workshop
Event details
Date
About the event
Our expert ecologists Lowri and Kath will take you on a fun and informative ‘wildlife art adventure’ around our beautiful Nature Reserve at Pentwyn Farm.
You’ll explore our ancient meadows, looking at flowers, plants, insects, birds and whatever else you may encounter. We'll show you how to record your findings through a loosely guided sketch tutorial looking at shape, colour, pattern and texture. You’ll also be given a brief overview of the history of Pentwyn Farm and how our wildflower meadows have been managed to date from grass cutting to conservation grazing.
What to bring: Please wear suitable clothing for the weather, you may wish to bring binoculars (optional) and a waterproof mat to sit on (weather depending).
More information:
This event is suitable for 16+
Please note we will be on our feet for approx 90 minutes on uneven ground.
Also at Art in Penallt
Join our other creative nature workshops taking place as part of the celebrations and don't miss our free, ongoing events running throughout the weekend for everybody to get involved with - add to our Nature-based Mandala, make your mark on our Community Wall Mural and navigate our grassland maze to find beautiful ceramic sculptures at the centre! Come along and support art and nature together.
Find out more and buy tickets for entrance to the whole event. (£6.00 online plus booking fee, or £7.00 on the door. Under 16s free).
Booking
Price
Workshop: £10You also need to buy entry to Art in Penallt (£7 or £6 in advance)
Know before you go
Dogs
More information
About the event site
The haymeadows at Pentwyn Farm (12 hectares) are among the largest remaining in Monmouthshire. They host over eighty species of wildflowers and grasses: from bright lemon-yellow Cowslips and striking Green-winged Orchids in May, to the eruption of Yellow Rattle, Milkwort, Eyebright, Meadow Vetchlings and trefoils attracting a huge variety of birds, butterflies, bees, crickets and moths in the summer months.
Since acquiring neighbouring Wyeswood Common (42 hectares) in 2007, we've been realising our vision of restoring this former intensive dairy farm into a mosaic of wildlife-rich habitats.
Our year-round restoration works involve 'conservation grazing' livestock, hedge-laying, tree-planting and green hay spreading from Pentwyn meadows alongside nature's own processes of regeneration.
Wildlife highlights
Rare orchids and abundant wildflowers bring loads of butterflies and moths, including Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White. Visit in autumn for incredible grassland fungi including colourful waxcaps.
Pentwyn Farm photo gallery
About the event leader
Community Ecologist, Kath Beasley, has been passionate about nature and being outdoors for as long as she can remember. During her A-levels Kath volunteered with the GWT, surveying water voles and mink activity on the Gwent Levels. She then went to the University of Sheffield to study Ecology and Conservation Biology. During her degree, Kath took a year out to gain practical experience, securing a position with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust as a Trainee Project Manager on their Ice Age Ponds Project. Following graduation in 2022, Kath has been working to gain more practical conservation experience.
Joining the Trust in June 2023, Kath’s role will see her working with local communities to increase volunteer participation on and around the Trusts reserves. Having grown up in the Eastern Valleys, she is particularly enthusiastic about improving the accessibility of involvement in nature conservation activities with the GWT.
About the event leader
Lowri Watkins joined Gwent Wildlife Trust in March 2016 as an Ecological Surveys Trainee on the LEMUR+ training scheme. Lowri was appointed a member of staff later that year and tasked with researching and writing the Trust’s new Nature Reserves Guide. Based in the Evidence team, Lowri’s role sees her working across a range of projects, including managing the Water Vole Project, undertaking an audit of all GWT’s reserves and, most recently, coordinating our Reserves Monitoring Programme.