A community partnership has received national recognition for its continuing work to help nature at a popular Rhuddlan site.

Rhuddlan Nature Reserve was honoured at the recent Wales in Bloom 2024 awards ceremony at Abergavenny.

The Council's Countryside Services have worked closely with the Rhuddlan Reserve Management Advisory Group since 2011 to manage the site to help nature flourish and provide a great place for community well-being.

Through the vision of the group and the skill of the countryside rangers, Rhuddlan Nature Reserve has grown and developed over the years with the introduction of initiatives including two wildflower meadows, three wildlife ponds, 300 metres of hedgerow, wildflower seeded verges, planting of 6,000 trees, a heritage species orchard, two picnic areas and a pond dipping platform.

The partnership, working with the local Dementia also created a Dementia friendly space on the site with sensory, trees, wildflowers and historic landscape features such as dry stone walls and laid hedges complete with traditional Welsh oak timber seating.

Adoption of the specially designed reserve by local wildlife has exceeded all expectations and which includes iconic species such as otters and water voles and which happen to be some of the more rapidly declining mammals in the UK.

Wales in Bloom awarded Rhuddlan the John Woods Environmental Award and ‘Outstanding’ in the It’s Your Neighbourhood Category which is a scheme for volunteer-led community gardening groups which are focused on cleaning up and greening up their local area.

Anita Fagan, Chair of the Rhuddlan Reserve Management Advisory Group was also awarded a Community Champion Award for her role in supporting Rhuddlan Nature Reserve.

She said: “I want to pass my grateful thanks to all committee members for their positive, proactive work for the reserve. I believe all committee members go ‘above and beyond’ their required commitment.

“Denbighshire Countryside Services and their team of rangers supported by fantastic volunteers deserve very special praise and thanks for their dedication to maintaining the reserve while juggling all their other nature reserve commitments in North Denbighshire.”

Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said: “This is a fantastic collaboration that Countryside Services are a part of and it has produced a wealth of support for local nature and the community who come to enjoy this site on a regular basis.

“It is great to see this work by all recognised and I look forward to seeing this important community site continue to flourish into the future.”

Spooky snakes have slithered into a Prestatyn nature spot thanks to a traditional crafting technique.

The Council’s Countryside Service led a Halloween themed wood craft session for Nature for Health volunteers at Coed Y Morfa.

To create the creatures to honour All Hallows' Eve, reused wood from coppicing carried out locally by countryside rangers was used to fashion a selection of snakes.

Coppicing is a traditional technique for managing woodland, involving trees or shrubs repeatedly cut at the base to create a coppice stool, leaving enough for regrowth and a sustainable supply of wood.

The offcuts can be used for crafting purposes or for the creation of new habitat piles to support local wildlife by providing nesting material for birds and habitats for reptiles.

Coppicing also mimics a process where large mature trees fall due to old age or strong winds, allowing light to hit the floor of the woodland giving other plant species the opportunity to thrive. This also can start a chain reaction that increases the range of plants and wildlife in a woodland area.

Sasha Taylor, Countryside Ranger, said: “Coppicing is a great traditional method in maintaining woodlands and also creating a sustainable supply of wood for other means. It’s been fantastic to combine this with wood crafting with the volunteers to create a slithering scary celebration to welcome in Halloween!”

Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said: “Our Countryside rangers really value the support of the volunteers who help them through Nature for Health to look after our local nature areas. It’s great to see them combine woodland management skills for a celebration of All Hallows' Eve.”