Woodland Trust fund-raising tops £400,000 – with five months to go.

Cymraeg

Defying the country’s deep recession, the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) has already raised over £400,000 towards the £865,000 it needs to buy almost an entire Snowdonia valley and restore it to native woodland.

At stake, and with just five months left to raise the money, is the Trust’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase most of Cwm Mynach, or the monk’s valley, Snowdonia, with an area of almost 1000 acres (400 ha)1.

The Trust latest fund-raising total has been achieved in just three months since launching its campaign in May – with funding mounting from a successful Woodland Trust appeal, private individuals, grants and a variety of organisations.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the people who have so far supported our appeal,” said Rory Francis of the Woodland Trust. “The race is now on to raise the remainder of the money to meet our purchase deadline.”

“The present owner of the land in Cwm Mynach shares the Woodland Trust’s vision of expanding and re-creating native woodland and other valuable wildlife habitats throughout the valley,” explained Rory.

“He has therefore agreed to sell the land to the Trust for considerably less than the market value. But to take advantage of that offer we need to raise £865,000 by the end of the year. That’s the sum required to purchase the land, and manage it for the first five years.

“By buying it the Trust can gradually remove the conifer woodand and allow expansion and re-creation of native broadleaf trees.”

Though mostly planted with conifers following the Second World War, the valley still contains precious remnants of ancient woodland, and the very damp conditions on the western seaboard of Europe make it a very special site indeed in terms of the rare mosses and lichens that it supports.

Ray Woods, a recognised lichen expert who works for Plantlife, has surveyed the site. Describing the remaining area of native woodland, he says: “Everywhere you look in this woodland there are mosses, liverworts and lichens.

“This is the Celtic rainforest and it’s even rarer than the tropical rainforest and probably more threatened. This valley was once covered in woodland. Now we’ve just got a few trees left.”

Ray Woods concludes: “We really need your help to conserve what is one of the finest, rarest woodlands on the planet. Remember, the future of the Celtic is in all our hands!”

Those wishing to support the campaign to restore Cwm Mynach can do so, quickly and securely, by calling 0845 2935858 or by visiting the campaign website, which includes more about the campaign and also a video featuring Ray Woods, at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/snowdonia

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@woodland-trust.org.uk

Or The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodland-trust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121

Notes for editors

1. The exact area of the land which has been offered to the Trust is 397 hectares (981-acres)

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 four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.

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.

English

Hanner y ffordd tuag at achub y goedwig law Geltaidd 

Coed Cadw yn llwyddo i gasglu £400,000, gyda phum mis i fynd

Er gaethaf dirwasgiad dwfn yr economi, mae Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) wedi codi £400,000 eisoes tuag at yr £865,000 sydd ei angen i brynu yr rhan fwyaf o Gwm Mynach yn Eryri a’i adfer i goetir brodorol.

Gyda dim ond pum mis i fynd cyn diwedd y flwyddyn, mae cyfle unwaith-ac-am-byth Coed Coed i brynu’r rhan fwyaf o Gwm Mynach ym Meirionnydd, sef rhyw 1000 o aceri (400 ha) o dir, yn y fantol.

Codwyd yr arian yma mewn o fewn dim ond tri mis ar ôl y lansiad ym mis Mai – gydag arian yn dod i mewn o apêl Coed Cadw, unigolion preifat, grantiau ac amrywiaeth o fudiadau gwahanol.

“Rhaid inni fod yn ddiolchgar dros ben i bawb sydd wedi cefnogi’r apêl hyd yn hyn,” meddai Rory Francis o Goed Cadw. “Mae’r râs wedi dechrau rwan i godi gweddill yr arian erbyn y dyddiad cau sydd wedi cael ei bennu inni brynu’r safle.”

“Mae perchennog presennol Cwm Mynach yn rhannu gweledigaeth Coed i ymestyn ac ail-greu coetir brodorol a chynefinoedd pwysig eraill i fyd natur trwy gydol y cwm,” eglura Rory.

“Felly, mae o wedi cytuno i werthu’r tir i Goed Cadw am lai o lawer na’i werth. Ond i fanteisio ar y cynnig yma mae rhaid i Goed Cadw godi £865,000 erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn. Dyma’r swm sydd ei angen i brynu’r tir a’i reoli am y pum mlynedd gyntaf.

Os bydd y safle yn perthyn i Goed Cadw, fe fydd modd ymestyn ac ailgreu coetir brodorol yn gyflymach, a hefyd fe fydd ei ddyfodol yn sicr yn y tymor hir.

Trwy brynu’r tir fe all Coed Cadw dynnu allan y coed conwydd yn araf deg, ac ymestyn ac ailgreu coetir brodorol.

Er i’r cwm gael ei blannu gyda choed conwydd yn dilyn yr Ail Ryfel Byd, mae’n dal i gynnwys gweddillion gwerthfawr o goetir hynafol gwych, ac mae’r amgylchiadau gwlyb iawn ar ochr gorllewinol Ewrop yn ei wneud o’n safle arbennig iawn o ran y mwsoglau a chen sydd i’w gweld yna.

Mae Ray Woods yn arbenigwr ar gen sy’n gweithio i Plantlife ac mae o wedi gwneud arolwg o’r safle. Gan gyfeirio at y coetir hynafol sydd wedi goroesi ar y safle, mae’n dweud: “Mae yna fwsoglau, cen a llysiau’r afu ar bob carreg a choeden.

“Dyma’r goedwig law Geltaidd ac mae’n debyg ei bod hi’n fwy prin na’r goedwig law trofannol ac o dan fwy o fygythiad. Roedd y cwm yma’n goetir i gyd unwaith. Dim ond ychydig o goed sydd ar ôl bellach.

Mae Ray Woods yn crynhoi: “Mae gwir angen eich help chi i warchod un o goedwigoedd prinaf a mwyaf godigog y blaned. Cofiwch, mae dyfodol y goedwig law Geltaidd yn ein dwylo ni!”

Fe all y rhai sydd eisio cefnogi’r ymgyrch wneud hyn yn hawdd ac yn ddiogel, a hynny trwy alw 0845 2935858 neu drwy ymweld â gwefan yr ymgyrch, sy’n cynnwys mwy o wybodaeth am yr ymgyrch a hefyd fideo gyda Ray Woods, wrth: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/cymmynach

Fe all y cyfryngau gysylltu â:

Rory Francis (Swyddog Cyfathrebu Cymru) ar 08452 935 860 neu 07760 171174 Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH Email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk

Swyddfa’r wasg Coed Cadw yn Grantham ar media@woodland-trust.org.uk neu 01476 581121

Neu Anna Heslop, Swyddog Ymgyrchoedd Cymru ar 08452 935 735 neu 07824 416 518

Nodiadau i olygyddion

1. Arwynebedd union y tir a gynigwyd i Goed Cadw yw 397 o hectarau (981 o erwau)

Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)

Coed Cadw yw’r elusen fwyaf yn y DU sy’n canolbwyntio ar warchod coedlannau. Mae ganddo 300,000 o aelodau. Mae gan y mudiad bedwar amcan sef: i) sicrhau na chollir rhagor o goedlannau hynafol, ii) adfer a gwella bioamrywiaeth coedlannau, iii) creu rhagor o goedlannau gyda choed brodorol a, iv) cynyddu ymwybyddiaeth pobl am goedlannau, a’u helpu i’w mwynhau.

Sefydlwyd Coed Cadw (neu’r Ymddiriedolaeth Coedlannau gynt) yn 1972. Erbyn hyn mae’n gofalu am dros 1,000 o safleoedd, gydag arwynebedd o 20,000 hectar (50,000 erw). Mae’r rhain yn cynnwys dros 100 o safleoedd yng Nghymru, gydag arwynebedd o 1,580 hectar (3,900 erw). Mae’r safleoedd hyn bron i gyd ar agor i’r cyhoedd. Gellir cael rhagor o newyddion ar wefan www.coedcadw.org.uk Fe fabwysiadodd Coed Cadw ei enw Cymraeg yn 2000. Hen derm Cymraeg yw “coed cadw” a ddefnyddiwyd yng nghyfreithiau’r Oesoedd Canol i gyfeirio at goedlannau a warchodwyd yn arbennig.