Make your own mini meadow to help local nature

Did you know that it’s easy to give a helping hand to nature from your own back garden?

Preparations are in full swing for our 2026 Wildflower Meadows Project season. The project started in 2019 and includes approximately 70 acres of native wildflower habitat supporting local nature and also helping community wellbeing across the county. It has also been funded by Welsh Government, through the Local Places for Nature funding.

Residents can visit our meadows which are marked with the Bee Friendly sign, but those who want to do their bit from their home can also create their own mini meadow to support nature on their doorstep.

The first step is to decide the best place for your meadow on your garden area. Pick an area that isn’t too shady and where you are ok with leaving the grass long. You can pick the whole garden or just a patch and just simply let your chosen area grow.

During April, it’s the best time to make the decision to let your mini meadow grow as it is. Remember it takes time for a meadow to develop and it’s important to let it develop to see what it will produce.

Wildflowers that will thrive best in your meadow space are oxeye daisies, black knapweed and red campion.

Movement in your meadow will start appearing late May as the wildflowers begin to grow. As June arrives the actual flower can start to appear through your meadow.

July is when your mini meadow will be at full strength supporting nature, it’s a great time to do a bug hunt through your area to see which insects are enjoying your creation.

As well as looking at what wildflowers you have blooming in your meadow, remember to look at all the different grasses. While we often focus on planting wildflowers for pollinators, many native grasses as just as important for caterpillars of butterflies and moth species.

August is a great time for your mini meadow as you will spot a slow change in what is flowering, with earlier species going to seed, and later species beginning to flower. Species that you might notice flowering at the end of the summer include black knapweed and yarrow, both of which are great for pollinators visiting your garden.

During August its also time to monitor when you need to cut your mini meadow. If you still have plenty of blooms you could leave it to September. You can also vary the cutting times across the year or the different parts of your own meadow depending on the size to make it more diverse for nature support. Cutting will help remove nutrients from the ground giving the wildflowers in the area the best chance to thrive.

Don’t forget to remove all the cuttings once their seeds have dropped and they have dried. A good tip as well is to keep your compost area as far away as your mini meadow to stop excess nutrients leaking back into the area and impacting on the growth of the wildflowers.

As September moves forward, it’s time to give your mini meadow a well-earned rest. You can leave the next cut until April or carry out several cuts to maintain the area if the winter weather stays mild. Before you shut down your mini meadow, take stock of what you have seen come through this season and the insects visiting the site as a record going forward for the next chapter of your own meadow.

Special storybook celebrates work to help rare bird

A special book is helping preserve a tale of important farming support for an under-threat bird.

For the past two years, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape has been part of “Curlew Connections Wales,” a Curlew Recovery Wales partnership project working alongside Bannau Brycheiniog and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

The initiative formed part of the wider Gylfinir Cymru programme, an all-Wales partnership dedicated to supporting breeding Curlew populations across the country, including in Denbighshire.

Funding from the Welsh Government through the Heritage Lottery Fund is coming to a close for the project but the National Landscapes team will carry on working to protect the rare bird in their area.

Since running the programme has helped strengthen conditions needed for curlew recovery by improving habitat management, enhancing monitoring and data collection, increasing local capacity for ecological action and building strong, trust-based relationships with farmers.

To mark the huge community support given to the project, project staff worked with author Peter Evans to provide a timeless capture of the work and dedication seen to give hope to the curlew.

A book called Sali and the Call of the Curlew has been published which charts the seasonal journey of the curlew on farmland from the perspective of a little girl called Sali and her farmer Taid. Sali follows Pegi the curlew, who returns each Spring to the farm and both their journeys to the next breeding season.

Local Curlew and People Officer Sam Kenyon created the background to the story from her experiences and author and volunteer to the project Peter Evans brought her thoughts to life with help from pupils at Ysgol Caer Drewyn,Ysgol y Waun and Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy, alongside storyteller Fiona Collins.

The book shows the plight of the curlew but with her Taid’s help, Sali finds out how small changes can make a big difference, and the pair set out to try to make sure more chicks survive the breeding season on the farm.

Primary school children from Ysgol Bro Elwern and Ysgol Betws Gwerful Goch also helped bring the storybook to life by colouring the illustrations created from collaged paper by talented Community Engagement Officer Jillian Howe.

The book is also designed to be accessible for those with Dyslexia thanks to the font used to tell the tale.

Receiving an official launch at Llangollen primary school Ysgol Gymraeg Y Gwernant with the support of Denbighshire County Council Chairman Cllr Arwel Roberts, English and Welsh copies will be made available to Denbighshire libraries and schools that have helped support the project over the last two years.

Local Curlew and People Officer Sam Kenyon, who has led the project for the past two seasons, explained the book is a celebration of the hard work from everyone who gave a supporting hand to helping the curlews and engaged with the wider programme over the two years.

“We wanted to do something special to celebrate the end of the project, especially following the amazing support we have had from the farmers, volunteers, schoolchildren and others who have played their part to give this bird a chance in our area. I’m so proud of the support that the farming community gave to our work, and I hope this tale highlights the commitment many can and do give to help the curlew.”

“For 2025, thanks to everyone’s combined efforts six chicks made it to fledging which was a boost to the local curlew population. It’s fitting we can celebrate the efforts by all the communities involved by leaving this book for the younger community members to read and learn how they and our rural communities can make a difference for the curlew.

“It’s humbling how everyone has come together to help the project, and I want to thank Peter and the school pupils for marking what a real positive journey this has been. But rest assured, the National Landscape won’t stop in the efforts needed to look after this amazing, rare bird and work will carry on as we move into the future to provide help to the iconic curlew.”

Josh’s Journey

Due to a relationship break down, Josh, who is 34, found himself seeking the Council’s homelessness team’s help at the start of last year. In February of 2025 Josh was placed in temporary accommodation and was assigned a homeless support practitioner.

Josh

“I was homeless at the start of last year. I had been in homeless before and was placed in temporary accommodation previously, but I wasn’t in the right mindset previously to try and sort out my wider situation.

I was only in there briefly this time. I was asking everyone, trying to find a flat of my own. I eventually found one and moved out of temporary accommodation quite quickly.”

A month later, Josh had found himself privately rented accommodation to live in and was looking to write the chapter in his story.

“Whilst I was in temporary accommodation, my homeless support practitioner mentioned the intuitive thinking skills courses to me.

I was a little sceptical about doing the courses at first, but I didn’t realise until I sat them, that really, I had nothing to lose, and everything to gain from giving them a go.

I started the courses in April and March. I did the skills to life course first, which I really enjoyed and learned a lot from.

It teaches you how to deal with your own mindset, and how you think about problems. I used to really struggle with my confidence and doubt myself all the time.

They asked me at the start of the course what I would like to improve on, and so I put down work on my confidence.”

Josh then went on to take the Information, advice and guidance course, and dove deeper into his learning.

“I went on to do the Information, advice and guidance course, which taught me some more technical aspects. I would be put in other people's shoes, and I learned how to help those who may be more vulnerable.

I learned how to help others who may be in circumstances such as homelessness or maybe struggle with substance misuse.”

In early summer, Josh was offered an ambassador placement with the Intuitive Thinking team, with the hopes of that scheme then leading to a permanent job within the team itself.

“I was really buzzing as that was the placement I wanted the most out of the ones that were offered to me. I learned to give speeches and administer training by shadowing members of the team. That helped my confidence so much, standing up and speaking in front of people. I was terrified at first, but it got easier and easier over time.

I was about two months into my placement with the team when I got offered a job in the energy sector which I felt I just couldn't turn down.

The skills I learned during the courses I took, and my placement have given me so much confidence in my new role. This job is so different from what I’ve done previously, and these new skills have given me the confidence to go and try something new. That’s the main take away for me.

I was very much set in my ways of staying in my comfort zone before I did these courses. I would just do what I’d always done, but ultimately, I kept getting the same results. I feel like I spent years at a standstill really.

Since I’ve sat these courses, I’ve never felt better in my life. It sounds crazy to say that a course can change that, but I learned why I am thinking things and how to deal with those thoughts.”

Josh has chosen more positive ways to ways to pass the time.

“I have chosen more healthy options in life now, I struggled with boredom when I got sober about four years ago, I needed different outlets.

I started playing golf and going to the gym. I am now a member at Rhyl Golf Club.”

Josh has now graduated from the Intuitive thinking courses, with a number of certificates under his belt, and is enjoying his new role in the energy sector.

“I think these courses would benefit everyone; you don’t have to be in a bad position to take it. You can’t lose anything from learning from this course, as long as you are invested in it, you’re going to benefit from it.

People have said that they can see a change in my confidence. From where I was in February,  to where I am now, it feels like two different people. I felt lost and had no hope really. It taught me to think differently and rationally think about situations. It has helped me to gain the focus and drive to get what I want.

It was like a snowball effect, as soon as I decided to start helping myself, things got gradually better.”

Restoring the Past, Building the Future: Nantclwyd y Dre

Ruthin is a town is steeped in history. Razed to the ground by Owain Glyndwr in the year 1400, the historic feel of the town as we know it today comes in large part from the timber-framed vernacular style of architecture which was used during the town’s reconstruction.

Among the charming streets and historic frontages sits an important piece of Ruthin’s built heritage. Originally built in 1435 as a weaver’s hall house, Nantclwyd y Dre boasts nearly 600 years of local history and is one of the oldest timber-framed townhouses in Wales open to the public.

Now managed by the Denbighshire Heritage Service, visitors to Nantclwyd y Dre historic house and gardens can relive the house’s fascinating past through immersive soundscapes, interiors and exhibits that give a captivating insight into what life was like for the families that lived there.

In 2023, funding was granted to restore parts of the site as the UK Government confirmed their intention to provide £10.95 million of grant funding for 10 capital projects aimed at protecting Ruthin’s unique heritage, wellbeing, and rural communities.

This funding, known as the Local Regeneration Fund (LRF), was awarded exclusively for successful projects included in Clwyd West and cannot be directed to other projects.

As one of the successful projects, £667,000 was allocated to redevelop some currently unused parts of the house in need of some repair to preserve this important piece of local heritage for generations to come, create new opportunities for the attraction to improve its future sustainability and make some exciting additions to the visitor experience.

Construction works began in October, focussing on bringing the largely unused west wing of the property back to life. This section of the house will become a small holiday let, designed and furnished in keeping with the historic nature of the building, and see improved facilities on the first floor with a dedicated space for the weekly volunteers who are a critical and valued part of the day-to-day workings at Nantclwyd.

However, before the works could begin, one set of longstanding residents needed to be taking into consideration. Denbighshire County Council consulted with ecologists to ensure that the planned developments would not disturb the resident protected bat maternity roost, which houses a significant number of the Pipistrelle and Lesser-Horseshoe population in Wales. Contractors were given specialist training, and a large bat shelter was installed in the garden, giving the winged residents an additional space to thrive.

The planned improvements will also make the kitchen area more suitable for event catering, and the summerhouse will be restored to its former glory for visitors to enjoy during the summer months, also serving as an additional space for the ceremonies taking place at the historic house such as weddings and civil partnership ceremonies.

Undertaken by B&W builders & decorators alongside TACP Architects, the project is expected to be completed by April 2026. A more sustainable approach to the improvement works has also been implemented through using wool to insulate the building rather than the more widely used oil-based insulation which emits higher carbon emissions and isn’t renewable.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation said:

“The beginning of these improvement works to Nantclwyd y Dre serves as a major milestone in securing the future of such a prominent historical site that sits at the heart of Ruthin. 

“Nantclwyd is as a great visitor attraction and community hub for our dedicated volunteers, and we are looking forward to seeing the newly developed spaces being enjoyed and used by visitors.

“The wellbeing of the bat population will remain as a priority whilst the works are being carried out, and we will be in continuous communications with the ecologists throughout the completion of the works”.

Ever wondered where your Council tax goes?

Many people think that Council tax pays for everything that a local authority delivers, however, the money collected from residents annually only accounts for 26% of total Council spending.

The majority of funding (62%) comes in the form of a ‘Revenue Support Grant’ from Welsh Government, while the remaining 12% comes from business rates which is a property tax that businesses pay to help fund local services. You can find out more about how the Council is funded on our website.

So where does your Council tax actually go? We’ve produced an infographic based on a Band D property council tax bill to help give a clear explanation of how council tax payments are used to fund the range of services for residents in the county. While this infographic gives a picture of how the money is shared between different services, understanding what residents gets for that money is really important.

As you can see, the majority of council tax spending goes towards protecting the most vulnerable in our society, with 66% spent on schools and education and adult and children’s social care.

With Education accounting for 36.7%, it means that Denbighshire can educate approximately 16,500 pupils in 44 primary schools, 2 all-through schools, 2 special schools, 6 secondary schools and 1 pupil referral unit across the county, with approximately 780 teachers delivering this education

Still in the field of education, school transport accounts for 2.9% for which the Council transports approximately 2,871 learners safely to schools throughout the county. In total, there are 650 school bus and taxi trips every school day.

Meanwhile, adult and children’s social care accounts for 29.8% of Council tax spending. For this, in 2024-2025, an average of 668 members of staff had over 25,000 contacts with the most vulnerable children and adults and provided a package of care and support where necessary giving these residents the opportunity to exercise choice, voice and control over their lives.

In other service areas, 1.9% goes towards public protection and environmental health and the Council’s teams inspects approximately 720 restaurants, cafes and take aways every year to ensure they’re operating safely for the residents of Denbighshire.

Emptying bins and recycling accounts for 1.8% of your council tax bill, which equates to £32.89 per year (based on a Band D property). That involves collecting around 73,000 containers from over 47,000 households every week across the county.

For 1.8% of council tax, we maintain 1,419km of carriageways (excluding trunk roads), 601 highway bridges and culverts, 302 retaining walls and 26,000 gullies. And for 0.8%, we maintain 11,763 street lights and 1,547 illuminated signs and bollards throughout the county.

Other services residents may not be aware that are delivered by the Council are the Countryside and Heritage Services. With 1.1% of council tax going to the countryside service, the teams manage over 80 sites and more than 1,200 hectares of public green for both recreation and conservation. These range from the Country Parks of Loggerheads and Moel Famau, the county tree nursery at St. Asaph, Brickfield Pond in Rhyl, Prestatyn Dyserth Way, Llantysilio Green in the Dee Valley and numerous smaller amenity community spaces across the county.

While the heritage service accounts for 0.9% of Council tax spending and for this, the service preserves and promotes the county’s unique history, caring for important historic sites including Ruthin Gaol, Plas Newydd, Nantclwyd Y Dre, Rhyl Museum (based in the library) and a large collection store. This work ensures Denbighshire’s rich history remains accessible for education, wellbeing, and enjoyment.

Planning and economic development accounts for 0.7% of Council tax spending and for that the Local Planning Authority processes around 1,000 planning applications each year alongside 10-20 appeals and 50-100 pre-application enquiries. We also respond to over 500 planning compliance cases.

Libraries account for 0.5% of Council tax spending and in 24-25, Libraries delivered 514 Bookstart sessions to nearly 6,500 children for this money. It also lent  2,869 audiobooks to 1,028 library members on Borrowbox (part of the Digital Offer) and printed over 56,000 pages on public access printers.

Not all Council tax collected pays for council services, 2.5% goes towards the Fire service to contribute to the funding of fire protection and prevention across the county.

Councillor Delyth Jones, Lead Member for Finance at Denbighshire County Council said, “I am pleased to see the production and release of this infographic information. It will, I hope, provide residents with the context they need in order to understand how their council tax payments are used to support the breadth of services delivered by the Council.

“In what is a continuing financially challenging climate, I think it’s important to be open and clear about the costs and the pressures. It’s also important to emphasise that many of the aspects of expenditure are, quite rightly, aimed towards the legal requirement to provide Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, and Education etc. These are the areas that support the most vulnerable in our society.”