Welsh Water has embarked on a project to restore and enhance woodlands north of Cardiff to boost biodiversity and provide accessible public spaces.
The company took over two adjoining reservoirs at Lisvane and Llanishen in 2016 with their surrounding lands, which had been unmanaged for many years.
The sustainable management plan’s first phase was to remove dead trees before bird-nesting season began and the next will be removing waste and invasive species to enable regeneration of flora and fauna.
More sensitive areas of the woodland will be protected in conservation zones and the project includes plans for an education centre as well as an historic fishpond to further enhance the area’s biodiversity credentials.
“We take our responsibility towards the environment seriously and this includes the sustainable management of the woodlands in our care,” said Peter Perry, Welsh Water’s chief executive. “The work we will be undertaking to restore the woodland at Lisvane and Llanishen reservoirs will not only help preserve this rich ecology of the site but also provide accessible green space that will contribute to the health and well-being of future generations.”
The work coincides with World Wildlife Day, the theme of which this year is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”.
Lesley Griffiths, minister for environment, energy and rural affairs, said the project was exactly what the Community Woodlands initiative was devised to do.
She said: “As we look to combat both the impact of the climate crisis, and the decline in our biodiversity, helping communities to create and restore habitats across Wales is vital.”
The water company is responsible for managing hundreds of acres of woodland across Wales, but no forests.