In your Friday update from us this week:
- Funding secured for north Cardiff woodland protection and restoration project
- Work to protect and renovate historic buildings on Flat Holm Island begins
- Pupils from St Paul's Church in Wales Primary School Break World Record in River Clean-Up
Funding secured for north Cardiff woodland protection and restoration project
A new conservation project that aims to protect and restore woodland in North Cardiff that has been damaged by unauthorised trails has secured £346,000 funding.
Led by Cardiff Council and funded by Welsh Government, the ‘Routes to Resilience' project covers the Cardiff Beech Woods Special Area of Nature Conservation including Garth Woods, Fforest Ganol and Fforest Fawr, as well as adjacent woodlands and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Cwm Nofydd and Y Wenallt.
The project will see Cardiff Council working with partners including Natural Resources Wales, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC and Breedon Group, as well as local community groups, to improve access for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, by creating a core network of trails and reducing the overall number of trails.
Important woodland habitats will also be improved and restored through the natural regeneration of former trail areas, the removal of invasive species and native planting. Engagement with the local community will also take place to discourage the building of further unauthorised trails.
Work to protect and renovate historic buildings on Flat Holm island begins
Work to protect and renovate Flat Holm island's historic foghorn station and Victorian cholera hospital is underway.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund alongside investment from the island's owners Cardiff Council, with in-kind support from partner organisations including the Flat Holm Society and RSPB Cymru, the work has required all materials and machinery to be shipped out to the isolated island, which sits in the Bristol Channel approximately five miles from Cardiff's coastline.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "Flat Holm island is steeped in history and we want to make sure these important heritage buildings are protected and preserved for future generations to learn from and enjoy.
"Flat Holm's isolated location adds a layer of complexity to the project, but these buildings are a key part of the island's story and central to helping us achieve our aim of attracting more visitors to this special place."
The work, which is being carried out by Knox & Wells, forms part of the wider £3 million Flat Holm: A Walk Through Time project, which has already seen:
- initiatives to improve habitats for the island's colony of lesser black-backed gulls delivered.
- the production of engraved ceramic panels for a Walking Through Time trail (to be installed this summer).
- a range of on-island activities, including volunteer conservation experiences, Bioblitz events, wellbeing retreats and creative writing workshops.
- engagement activities on the mainland, including a new sculpture on Cardiff Bay Barrage with accompanying arts website, educational workshops in schools, and talks at community centres.
Pupils from St Paul's Church in Wales Primary School Break World Record in River Clean-Up
Pupils from St Paul's Church in Wales Primary School in Grangetown have made history by helping to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people participating in a river clean-up.
On March 21, 2025, a total of 1,327 volunteers including 26 pupils from the school, gathered across eight official locations to clean the River Taff, surpassing the previous record of 329 participants set on the River Ganges in India.
The record-breaking event was organised in collaboration with Cardiff Council and Taff Tidy, a local environmental initiative. Volunteers, including school children, community groups, and other members of the public, collected litter along the River Taff from its source in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons) to Cardiff Bay. The clean-up lasted for 30 minutes, starting at 12:00 GMT.
Cardiff's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "It was wonderful to hear that so many children and young people have made history by supporting the Taff Tidy event. The effort from pupils from St Paul's Church in Wales Primary School not only shines a light on the importance of protecting our environment but also proves what can be achieved when we come together to make a positive change."
"We are incredibly proud of our pupils and the community for coming together to achieve this remarkable feat," said Ruth Wilshire, Headteacher of St Paul's Church in Wales Primary School. "This event not only highlights the importance of environmental conservation but also demonstrates the power of collective action."
The successful record attempt was supported by Cardiff Harbour Authority and the Council's Waste Management team who also took part and contributed to the record. It has brought attention to the ongoing efforts to keep the River Taff clean and has inspired many to take part in future environmental initiatives.