Llantysilio Mountain restoration gets off the ground!

Works to restore the fire damaged Llantysilio Mountain will shortly be getting under way. Staff of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty undertook a number of trials in 2020 to test ways to get moorland plants re-established on the mountain. Following the success of the trials, a larger scale approach will literally be getting off the ground in March.

The Council's Moorland Field Officer Graham Berry has been helping to organise the works which are being funded by the Welsh Government and lead by Natural Resources Wales. “Heather will be cut on Mynnydd Llantysilio as part of annual moorland management with one difference, the cuttings will be bagged and airlifted by helicopter to some of the worst fire damaged areas of the mountain on Moel y Gamelin and Moel y Faen.”

Just over 1ha of heather brash will be spread as a mulch, stabilising the soil and creating conditions for moorland plants like heather and bilberry to recolonise. A further 68ha of the mountain will also be sown with an upland grass seed mix to create a nursery crop for moorland plants to recolonise.

This year’s restoration works will only cover half of the most damaged part of the mountain and further work is planned in the future. This approach has been successful on fire damaged moorlands in England and it is hoped that over time the vegetation will re-establish to benefit wildlife, farming and local communities alike.

For health and safety reasons, members of the public are kindly requested not to venture out on to the Llantysilio mountain when the helicopter is airlifting the bags of heather.

Photo Credit:  Airbourne Solutions