Joyce visits world-leading Dyfi eco-project

A local Senedd Member has visited the Dyfi Osprey Project near Machynlleth to see their world-leading environmental work.

Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve is a wetland wildlife haven, starring nesting ospreys along with many other rare species and much more.

Joyce Watson MS (Mid and West Wales) said:

“I’m a long-term supporter and I’ve been keen to return for some time, particularly to see the new Dyfi Wildlife Centre and to find out more about the impact which the family of beavers has made to the wetlands.

“I follow this and other Welsh osprey nests through their nestcams online. It is wonderful to see these birds – which were persecuted to extinction for 400 years – attempt to raise a family each year. People all over the world tune in to watch the ups and downs, from mating, defending the nest and dealing with Welsh weather, to chicks hatching, learning to fly and eventually setting off on their long migration.

“When I first visited there was just a hide and a nest, and now this is an eco-resource open to all, supporting education and research, and highlighting our wildlife, ecology, history and culture in an imaginative and inspiring way.

“This project is a treasure, with dedicated staff and volunteers doing world-leading work from the Dyfi Estuary.”

Joyce Watson MS met Dyfi Projects Officer Emyr Evans at the Dyfi Osprey Project on 21 October.

They caught up on a range of developments, such as the peat bog restoration work.

Last year Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, which runs the project, received £161,900 of Welsh Government Nature Networks funding to cover biodiversity and habitat improvements, measures to protect the rare ospreys which breed there and to improve community access.

This funding went towards habitat management, increased surveillance around the Dyfi osprey nest, peat bog improvements, and improving the wheelchair accessibility of the boardwalk through the reserve.

A family of beavers was introduced into Cors Dyfi last year to help manage the lowland peat bog and to increase public awareness of these ‘ecosystem engineers.’ This was funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme.

Peatland restoration has become increasingly urgent in Wales, as research has prompted Welsh Government to triple its targets while promising further action to restore Wales’ wildlife and plants.

Joyce Watson explained:

“The restoration of our natural world is essential for all the services that our complex ecosystems provide us – from fresh water to drink to healthy soils for our food to grow.

“Around half of Wales’ animal and plant life has vanished due to the loss of forests, the plundering of seas, and to pollution caused by human activity, like much of the developed world.

“Urgent action is needed and last year Welsh Government commissioned an expert-led Biodiversity Deep Dive to set out recommendations of how nature recovery can be accelerated.

“Emyr and his team are doing important work to reverse centuries of harm, and we can all learn from them.”

The Biodiversity Deep Dive follows the United Nation’s ’30 by 30’ goal to protect and effectively manage 30% of the planet’s marine and 30% of the planet’s terrestrial environment by 2030.

Mrs Watson is a member of the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee.