Cymraeg
Thinning works taking place in Neath woodland
For Chris Matts, working for the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) is the ideal job. And having joined the charity in June this year, he is making his presence felt this month. He will be overseeing the thinning of hundreds of larch trees at Dyffryn Woods, Bryn côch, near Neath, to make space for the native oak, ash and alder to return and to protect the specialist forest flora by allowing more daylight to penetrate to ground level.
Under Chris’ supervision, hundreds of larch trees will be removed from the wood over the next two weeks, as well as much rhododendron, which can smother all other vegetation if not controlled. But there will be no clear-felling. Only around a quarter of the larches in any one area will be removed, to avoid disrupting the sensitive woodland ecosystem.
The work is being partly funded by Biffaward, a fund which awards grants to community and environmental projects across the UK. The fund's money comes from landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.
Neath Port Talbot is actually one of the most heavily wooded local authority areas in Wales. But while most of the woods in the area consist of conifers, Dyffryn Woods is unusual, a surviving enclave of ancient woodland. That is, the site has been continuously woods for at least 400 years, making it wildlife hotspot.
Larch trees were planted there after the second world war and the Woodland Trust’s vision is to gradually remove them and restore the wood to its former glory. With Phytophthora ramorum now attacking larch trees across much of south Wales, the task has now become all the more important, because reducing the number of larch trees in Dyffryn wood will help to reduce the impact of the disease should the woodland become infected.
Chris Matts grew up in Leicestershire, around the National Forest, and his involvement with the environment started when he became a voluntary ranger leading to a seasonal position at Bosworth Battlefield Country Park and newly planted woodlands within the National Forest. He then went on to study countryside management at university and then worked as a farm hand, and then went on to work with the local Wildlife Trust. He took on his new role with the Woodland Trust as Site Manager in June this year.
He says: “Working for the Woodland Trust is exactly what I wanted to do and I’ve hugely enjoyed getting to know the woods I manage and meeting local people. The work we’re doing at Dyffryn Woods will inevitably be disruptive, but in the longer term it will make the woods all the more attractive and better for wildlife, helping to encourage visitors to the area. Can I ask everyone visiting the wood over the next month to following the warning signs and not to approach areas where felling is taking place?”
The Woodland Trust purchased Dyffryn Woods in 1993 following a successful local fundraising campaign. Like all Woodland Trust woods, it is open for the public to visit anytime and for free. It has its own dedicated website, including an interactive map and the Trust’s plans for the site at: www.wt-woods.org.uk/dyffrynwoods
For media enquiries contact:
Or Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 08452 935 738 or 07760 171174, Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH Email roryfrancis@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Or Angharad Evans, (Campaigns Officer Wales in Cardiff) on 08452 935 735 or 07774 122802
Or The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodland-trust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading charity championing native woods and trees. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees; ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future and; iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. The Trust’s Welsh language name, “Coed Cadw”, is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
Biffaward
In 1997 Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administer under the fund name Biffaward. Grants made from the fund currently amount to £100 million, supporting many worthwhile projects.
Biffa Waste Services Limited is one of the largest single suppliers of waste management services in the UK. It collects, treats, recovers and disposes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste nationwide. It is ultimately owned by a private equity consortium comprising Montagu Private Equity, Global Infrastructure Partners, Uberior Co-Investments Limited and other co-investors.
The landfill tax came into operation in 1996. Its purpose is to reflect the impact of landfill on the environment and also to help achieve the targets for more sustainable waste management. The tax, levied on the tonnage of all material disposed of in landfill sites and collected by Biffa on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs, aims to encourage recycling and reduce waste by raising the cost of disposal.
The regulations allow landfill site operators to direct approximately 5.5% of the tax they have collected towards approved environmental projects. However, any approved project can only receive 90% of its desired funding from the landfill tax. The remainder must come direct from the landfill site operator or from a third party organisation or company.
www.biffaward.org
English
Dyn newydd yn dechrau mewn swydd ddelfrydol gyda Choed Cadw - yn gwneud lle i genhedlaeth newydd o goed brodorol
Gwaith teneuo yn digwydd mewn coedwig yng Nghastell Nedd
Mae gweithio i Goed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) yn swydd ddelfrydol i Chris Matts. Ar ôl ymuno â’r elusen ym mis Mehefin eleni, mae e’n dechrau o ddifri yn awr. Fe fydd e’n goruchwylio teneuo cannoedd o goed llarwydd yn Dyffryn Wood, Brych côch, ger Castell Nedd, er mwyn gwneud lle i goed derw, onn a gwern brodorol, ac i ddiogelu blodau argennig y goedwig trwy adael mwy o oleuni i lawr y goedwig.
O dan ofal Chris, tynnir cannoedd o larwydd allan o’r goedwig dros yr wythnosau nesaf, yn ogystal â llawer o rhododendren, a all mygu’r holl lystyfiant arall os na chaiff ei reoli. Ond ni chaiff yr un darn o goetir eu clirdorri. Dim ond rhyw chwarter o’r llarwydd mewn unrhyw ran o’r goedlan a gaiff eu torri, er mwyn osgoi ymyrryd ag ecosystem fregus y goedwig.
Mae rhan o’r gwaith yn cael ei ariannu gan Biffaward, sef cronfa sy’n rhoi grantiau i brosiectau cymunedol ac amgylcheddol ar draws y DU. Mae’r gronfa’n cael ei ariannu gan gredydau tirlenwi a roddir gan Biffa Waste Services.
Mae Castell Nedd Port Talbot yn un o siroedd mwyaf coediog Cymru. Ond er bod y rhan fwyaf o goedwigoedd yr ardal yn goedwigoedd conwydd, mae Dyffryn Woods wahanol, yn ddarn goetir hynafol sy wedi goroesi. Hynny yw, mae’r safle wedi bod yn goediog ers o leiaf 400 mlynedd, gan ei wneud e’n arbennig iawn ar gyfer byd natur.
Plannwyd y coed llarwydd yna yn dilyn yr ail ryfel byd a gweledigaeth Coed Cadw yw eu tynnu nhw allan yn araf deg er mwyn adfer y goedwig i’w gogoniant blaenorol. Ond gan bod y clefyd Phytophora ramorum yn taro llarwydd ar draws ardaloedd helaeth o’r De, mae’r dasg yn dod yn fwyfwy dyrys. Os caiff nifer y llarwydd yn Dyffryn Woods ei leihau, fydd e llai o broblem os bydd y clefyd yn taro’r goedwig.
Fe gafodd Chris Matts ei fagu yn Swydd Gaerlyr, yn agos i’r Fforest Genedlaethol. Fe ddechreuodd e gymryd rhan mewn gwaith amgylcheddol fel warden gwirfoddol, ac fe arweiniodd hynny at swydd dros dro ym Mharc Gwledig Bosworth Battlefield a choedlannau oedd newydd eu plannu o fewn y Fforest Genedlaethol. Fe aeth e ymlaen wedyn i astudio rheolaeth cefn gwlad yn y brifysgol, ac i weithio fel gwas fferm, cyn mynd i weithio i’r Ymddiriedolaeth Byd Natur lleol. Fe ddechreuodd ei swydd newydd fel rheolwr safle gyda Choed Cadw ym mis Mehefin eleni.
Mae’n dweud: “Roedd gweithio i Goed Cadw yn swydd ddelfrydol i fi a dwi wedi mwynhau dod i nabod y coedlannau dwi’n reoli a chyfarfod â phobl leol. Mae’n anochel y bydd y gwaith sy’n digwydd yn Dyffryn Woods yn amharu ar dawelwch y goedlan, ond yn y tymor hir fe wnaiff e’r goedlan yn fwy deniadol ac yn well i fyd natur, gan ddenu mwy o ymwelwyr, gobeithio. Gaf i ofyn i bawb sy’n ymweld â’r goedlan dros y mis nesaf i ddilyn yr arwyddion diogelwch ac i beidio â mynd yn agos i’r ardaloedd lle mae’r coed yn cael eu torri?”
Fe brynodd Coed Cadw Dyffryn Woods yn 1993 yn dilyn ymgyrch codi arian llwyddiannus. Fel bron pob coedlan o eiddo Coed Cadw, mae e ar agor i’r cyhoedd ymweld ag e ar unrhyw adeg ac am ddim. Mae ganddo ei wefan ei hun, sy’n cynnwys map rhyngweithiol a’r cynllun rheoli wrth:
www.wt-woods.org.uk/dyffrynwoods
Fe all y cyfryngau gysylltu a:
Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) ar 08452 935 738 neu 07760 171174, Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH e-bost roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk
Neu Angharad Evans, (Swyddog Ymgyrchoedd yng Nghaerdydd) ar 08452 935 735 neu 07774 122802
Neu swyddfa’r wasg Coed Cadw yn Grantham sef media@woodland-trust.org.uk neu 01476 581121
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees; ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future and; iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.coed-cadw.org.uk The Trust adopted its Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
Biffaward
Yn 1997 fe gytunodd Biffa Waste Services i roi credydau treth tirlenwi i’r Gymdeithas Frenhinol o Ymddiriedolaethau Byd Natur i’w gweinyddu, a hynny o dan yr enw Biffaward. Rhoddwyd cyfanswm o £100,000 erbyn hyn, gan gefnogi llawer o brosiectau gwerthfawr iawn.
Mae Biffa Waste Services yn un o’r cwmnïau mwyaf o ran cyflenwi gwasanaethu rheoli gwastraff yn y DU. Mae’n casglu, yn trin, yn ailgylchu ac yn gwaredu gwastraff bwrdeistrefol, masnachol a diwydiannol ar hyd y wlad. Mae’n perthyn i gonsortiwm preifat sy’n cynnwys Montagu Private Equity, Global Infrastructure Partners, Uberior Co-Investments Limited a buddsoddwyr eraill.
Fe ddechreuodd y dreth dirlenwi yn 1996. Ei bwrpas yw adlewyrchu effaith tirlenwi ar yr amgylchedd a hefyd helpu i gyrraedd targedau i drin gwastraff yn fwy cynaladwy. Codir y dreth ar bob tunnell o wastraff o gladdir mewn safleoedd tirlenwi. Mae’n cael ei gasglu gan Biffa ar ran Cyllid a Thollau EM, a’r bwriad yw annog ailgylchu a lleihau gwastraff trwy gynyddu cost gwaredu.
Mae’r rheolau’n galluogi’r rhai sy’n rhedeg safleoedd tirlenwi i roi rhyw 5.5% o’r dreth maen nhw wedi gasglu i brosiectau amgylcheddol. Ond ni chaiff yr un prosiect dderbyn mwy na 90% o’i incwm o’r dreth dirlenwi. Rhaid i’r gweddill ddod o’r cwmni tirlenwi neu o ryw gwmni neu fudiad arall.
www.biffaward.org