Five historic commons in Carmarthenshire are to be the focus of a conservation project thanks to a £43,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
A partnership led by Carmarthenshire County Council has been successful in receiving the grant for Carmarthenshire Bogs.
Working on five commons near Brechfa and Llanfynydd the project, also supported with funding from Natural Resources Wales and the council, will explore the history of the bogs, celebrate the special habitats and species, and take action to conserve the habitats for the future.
Formed over thousands of years, lowland bogs are increasingly rare examples of a peatland habitat supporting specialised but threatened wildlife.
One of the main aims of the project is to provide opportunities for people to find out more about the importance of these sites and work with partners – Swansea University, the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, Dyfed Archaeological Trust and the council – to investigate and promote the ecological, cultural and landscape importance of the bog habitats.
The public will be able to support studies of the peat on one of the bogs and help with investigations on site.
Dyfed Archaeological Trust will work with local schools on Mynydd Bach common to explore a group of Bronze Age round barrows and find out more about the prehistoric landscape and the people who lived there; there will also be a day in celebration of peat at the National Botanic Garden of Wales .
Councillor Pam Palmer, the Council’s Biodiversity Champion said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund.
“This is an excellent example of partnership working on a project that will allow us to discover more about these fascinating habitats and will allow local people to discover more about the key role the bogs play in the environment.”
Richard Bellamy, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales said: “HLF supports a wide range of heritage projects and we are particularly keen to support organisations seeking to provide opportunities for people to explore and enjoy the rich natural heritage of Wales.
“Thanks to National Lottery players money, this exciting project will give people the opportunity to learn about a landscape that is often inaccessible and help ensure that these habitats are better understood and protected in the future.”
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