Such a lot has happened on the project since I last wrote.

Working with local communities brings its joys and its challenges. How to ensure that your message is getting to the right people? How to provide events/ activities which are inclusive and relevant? How to ensure that stakeholders are heard and satisfied with the work being carried out?

In many ways, it is a sheer delight to be given a blank canvas in order to set about achieving the aims of the project, but managing expectations, staying on task and delivering events in a timely fashion are all very much part of the whole process and need careful thought.

Initially, I spent a lot of time talking to local people, walking the patch (very steep at times….we stretch up to the Carneddau), and trialing ideas. I was keen to ensure that we reached as wide an age group as possible, with consideration for engaging people at times convenient to them.

The Headteacher of the local primary school welcomed me with open arms. From Easter until the summer break, I worked with Year 5/6 and since September, I’ve been working with Year 3/4 every Friday morning. My sessions are always outdoors and practical, and the children have learnt about wildlife and food gardening, built a bug hotel, learnt about invasive non-native species, seen local moths, set dormice trail tunnels, identified local trees and met an array of raptors! The enthusiasm from the children has been infectious and I’m always delighted when they acknowledge me from the local playground!

During the school holidays, we ran very popular “Wild Wednesday” sessions. Again with the emphasis on being outdoors and practical, we discovered bushcraft, paper making, printmaking and wildlife art. Feedback was great from parents and children alike!

On Tuesdays, we have been steadily growing our Volunteer Work Party. This now has a small core of local villagers, who are often joined by regulars who come from a bit further afield. We have been able to achieve some seriously impressive work; removal of Himalayan balsam to form a “buffer zone” around Coed Dolgarrog (ongoing), the construction of steps and revetments on the path above the Memorial gardens (now a much more obvious and easy to walk path), hedge laying and targeted removal of unwanted invasive species such as cherry laurel, cotoneaster and buddleia (accredited training in PO1/PO6 Herbicide useage was provided for 4 volunteers). We have much more to do yet, and the work parties will continue all year round.

We have run wildlife-themed art and craft sessions over weekends and during evenings for adults; some of which include paper making from Himalayan balsam (is this a world first?), cyanotpe print making, landscape art and making cordage and dyes from natural materials.

Over weekends, we have organised walks (bluebell, local history, openings of the newly upgraded tracks, and a higher walk with the local Carneddau warden from the National Park). We plan to keep these as a regular feature.

Working with the local gardening group, we managed to help secure extensions to their “Keep Wales Tidy” grant, which resulted in another raised bed, a shed and a second poly tunnel. As the nights draw in and the garden is “put to bed”, we have arranged a series of monthly evening talks on a variety of topics, including the ecology and importance of Coed Dolgarrog, the work to save the native aspen tree, and local studies into dormice.

Larger community events have included evenings where locals “Pulled (balsam) for Pizza”, and “The Village Green” weekend event, in which we set up a photographic display of the project so far, set up the moth trap and children’s activities and led a walk to officially open “Traciau 1 and 2”.

We will have a seasonal programme of events until March 2028, so if you live locally and would like to get involved, please do get in touch with me. Looking forward to meeting you soon!

Find out more about the Gwneud Traciau (Making Tracks) project here