Jane Corey
Discover Gwent's Incredible Uplands Landscape
Discover Gwent's Incredible Uplands
Including anywhere in Gwent and 200m or more above sea level in altitude, this dramatic hillside landscape is ever changing throughout the seasons. It enjoys the extremes of weather such as strong wind, snow and ice, as well as dazzling summer sunshine.
The uplands and in particular those surrounding the Gwent ‘Valleys’ areas have long been overlooked by most people with an interest in wildlife often believing them to be ‘wildlife deserts’ or ‘sheep wrecked’ but this in most cases is a long way from the truth. But you must be willing to look if you want to uncover the spectacular wild encounters that these habitats have to offer.
And through the South East Wales Resilient Uplands Project (SEWRU), we provided lots of opportunities for people to do just that.Â
Gabi Horrup
Discover Uplands Wildlife and Habitat
Read moreGwent Wildlife Trust and the South East Wales Resilient Uplands (SEWRU) project
The South East Wales Resilient Uplands (SEWRU) was a 3-year (2018-2021) collaborative project, led by Torfaen Council, and involving Gwent Wildlife Trust, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent Councils, Natural Resources Wales, Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Gwent Wildlife Trust and the Brecon Beacons National Park.
SEWRU's focus is delivering priority actions from the Natural Resource Management Plan for South-east Wales Uplands (NRMP) which was produced in 2015.
The NRMP identifies solutions to many challenges that our uplands face, such as declining farm incomes, loss of habitat and key species, and landscape crime such as illegal use of off-road vehicles, fly-tipping and arson.
The SEWRU project covers an area of some 200sq km, on land which is over 200m in altitude within Torfaen, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent.
It is funded by the Welsh Government’s Rural Communities–Rural Development Programme 2014- 2020 and the European Union’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and aims to:
· Deliver land management to improve soils, water quality and regulation, grazing, biodiversity, and carbon storage
· Strengthen relationships between stakeholders and commoners to support upland communities
· Build capacity through volunteering, training and community engagement
· Increase farm competitiveness and viability through diversification and development of innovative business opportunities
· Tackle the underlying causes of upland degradation caused by poor land management and anti-social problems such as fly-tipping, arson and illegal off-roading
· Provide opportunities for quiet recreation and enhance the area’s tourism offer
To date the project has identified and begun peatland restoration pilots, produced common land management plans, installed physical barriers to reduce landscape crime and managed important upland heathland to reduce fire risk and facilitate conservation grazing. SEWRU is currently working with Gwent Police and others to produce upland-focussed landscape crime management plans.
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Gwent Wildlife Trust's work with SEWRU
What did Gwent Wildlife Trust do for the SEWRU project?
As a SEWRU project partner, Gwent Wildlife Trust delivered a number of activities during 2020 to promote the uplands as a place to visit for tourism and recreation whilst also promoting the sustainable use of the area.
We plan to help showcase the uplands, raising awareness both locally and nationally of the area as a valuable and rewarding resource in which to work, play, visit and live.
As part of this Gwent Wildlife Trust ran a photography competition called Hill Life Through a Lens and held a series of free guided walks and training courses throughout 2020 (postponed to 2021), which highlighted the wonderful wildlife of the uplands and practical skills needed to manage it.
