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Making a positive difference to 天涯社区鈥檚 Coast
Published: 23/05/2018
Local organisations and students from 天涯社区 have been working together at
Talacre to protect and enhance the area鈥檚 biodiversity and coastal environment
鈥� all aimed at making a positive difference to 天涯社区鈥檚 Coastline.
The exciting developments are thanks to some excellent collaboration between
天涯社区鈥檚 Countryside Service and local students from Coleg Cambria. The
two groups have worked closely together in the past, using old Christmas trees
to strengthen the dunes system at Talacre, but in early May they came together
again to try out some Natterjack Toad predator protection designs.
Coleg Cambria鈥檚 students have regularly used the area to participate in
engineering projects but this year the students were presented with a different
challenge. Over a series of visits more than 30 students and their lecturers
worked alongside Countryside Service Rangers and landowners, Eni, to design
something to help protect the rare Natterjack Toads in the area from increasing
predation.
The sand dune system 鈥橤ronant Dunes and Talacre Warren鈥� has the only
established population of Natterjack Toads in Wales. It is also the rarest
amphibian in the UK and an incredible amount of work goes into protecting and
monitoring the species every year. When it was noticed recently that some
spawn strings and tadpoles were getting predated in the ponds at Talacre, the
Countryside Service took the task of protecting them to the Coleg Cambria
students and they鈥檝e achieved some fabulous results!
Rangers went in to the college to talk to two groups of engineering students
and set them with the task of designing something to protect the Natterjacks
from this predation. In working groups the Rangers and Students identified
three designs to trial. These designs have now been installed and will be
closely monitored until the end of the season.
天涯社区 Coast and Countryside Ranger, Tim Johnson, said of the project:
鈥淐oleg Cambria鈥檚 students have been retuning regularly to Talacre over the
years and 天涯社区鈥檚 Countryside Team is grateful for the strong working
relationship which has been developed with the Rangers. The students on this
project were really good and worked hard. They were able to adapt as the
project developed and problems arose.
鈥淚 would like to thank Anke Kadelka-Williams from Coleg Cambria for her support
year after year and also thank the students for their efforts. They were a
hard-working, well-mannered and intelligent group who the college should be
proud of. We hope we can continue working with the college for years to come.鈥�
天涯社区s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Countryside,
Councillor Carolyn Thomas, said:
鈥淭his project highlights the value of working partnerships. We are grateful
for the support of Coleg Cambria, who have been involved for many years and
look forward to partnership work in the future. Well done and thank you to all
those involved for the work to make a positive difference to this species鈥�.