Rhyl nature reserve progress highlighted at national awards

A Rhyl nature reserve has been recognised for its growing support for local nature.

Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve was honoured at the recent Wales in Bloom 2025 awards ceremony at Wrexham.

Denbighshire Countryside Service rangers and volunteers supported by Nature for Health have worked to improve the site both for nature and for the enjoyment of the local community.

Continued development work has seen the regeneration of an old community orchard and pond opened up, improvements to the walkways, removal of dead trees and the tidying up of the viewpoints around the main waters to improve visitor experience.

Work has also taken place to improve the small woodland next to the reserve car park and new wildflower meadows have also been sown on the site

Rangers and volunteers work together regularly to learn countryside crafts such as traditional hedge laying on the site to help also improve habits for nature.

Coleg Rhyl students joined rangers at Brickfield Pond for a session on how to carry out ‘Hazel Hurdling’ and their efforts have helped improve the opened viewpoints around the water.

Areas around the nature reserve have also been improved around to encourage more water voles to make their home at the site.

Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve was classed as ‘Thriving’ under the Wales in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood awards 2024. This area of Wales in Bloom is a scheme for volunteer-led community gardening groups which are focused on cleaning up and greening up their local area. 

This year the reserve has gone one better by receiving a Level 5 ‘Outstanding’ award at the 2025 ceremony.

Countryside Ranger Vitor Evora who manages the site, said: “We have a great team of rangers and volunteers who really get stuck in at the reserve and this award which shows improvement at the site since last year is a testament to everyone’s commitment to making this a great place for nature and the surrounding community.

“We will be continuing to develop the nature reserve with a focus to improve further into the future to enhance visitor experience and the support for our animals, plants and trees at the site.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Council Biodiversity Champion, said: “The volunteers and staff have made a real positive difference to Brickfield Pond thanks to their dedicated work to improving biodiversity and the surroundings for the community. It’s fantastic that they have received this recognition for improvement at the site due to all their hard work.”