Category: Biodiversity

Every household in Wales can collect and plant a tree as over 50 hubs open across the country Denmark Farm is taking part in the My Tree, Our Forest initiative, an ambitious Welsh Government and Coed Cadw project which will offer every household in Wales a tree, free of charge. Denmark Farm is one of […]

You may be asking ‘what is a BioBlitz?’ Well, it’s a day of recording all of the various species of wildlife found. This is what we have recently done at Denmark Farm on Sunday 28th July 2019. What a fantastic day we all had! We worked closely with West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre (WWBIC) who […]

Regular visitors to Denmark Farm will be familiar with the sight of a small herd of Highland cattle who are on loan to us by local grazier Gwyn. Our mobile management team of Highland cattle munch our grasslands in just the right way to encourage a myriad of wildlife – tackling tougher plants so that […]

We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded £49,981.37 from The Landfill Disposals Tax Grants to help wildlife and improve biodiversity at Denmark Farm. This, Landfill Disposals Tax Grants, will support our new two year project Cadw Natur Mewn Cof ~ Nature in Mind, starting during the Summer 2019. The grant will provide us with […]

The Shared Earth Trust is a small independent charity which was set up in 1987. The aim was to restore 40 acres of what was once an intensively managed farm with little wildlife into a variety of habitats which are now a haven for wildlife. In fact, over the last year or so we have […]

…and other stories of wildlife recording. During the first 10 years at Denmark Farm, an intensive programme of wildlife surveys was carried out to monitor the restoration of the site from intensively managed grassland to a mosaic of wildlife-rich habitats. The vast amounts of records in filing cabinets and boxes bear testimony to the huge […]

Connecting people with nature is one of the main aims of the Shared Earth Trust at Denmark Farm. Just visiting and experiencing the biodiversity here is the best way to connect with nature. However, we also like to help people make that connection by informing visitors about the things that they can see here. We […]

This week summer has returned to Denmark Farm, along with all the butterflies and the campers.  During a peaceful lunchtime stroll around the meadows I was reminded of the wonderful passage in Miriam Darlington’s ‘Otter Country – In search of the wild otter’ about her stay on the Eco campsite at Denmark Farm:  “we set out […]

You may remember our most read blog post from last year ‘A Prickly Tale – Hedgehog Rescue‘. ‘Spike Bach’ (a juvenile hedgehog) was found wandering around at Denmark Farm last autumn, very underweight and disorientated. After a brief period of being looked after by Denmark Farm staff she was taken to the Carmarthenshire Bat and Hedgehog Hospital. Thankfully, with […]

Christmas came early for Denmark Farm last year, in the form of a grant for £17,627 awarded by the Volunteering in Wales Fund towards our new project ‘Holistic Habitats’. As well as supporting volunteers to look after our 40 acre nature reserve, the funding will also enable us to develop a kitchen garden – something […]

Here at Denmark Farm we regularly host a number of ecology and conservation courses, led by tutors from the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at Aberystwyth University. Our 40 acre nature reserve provides an ideal study site, and the wildlife records from these courses are a valuable addition to our species monitoring programme. However, […]

Here in west Wales we are blessed with beautiful countryside – woodlands and streams, hills and valleys, meadows and lakes. And not a single one of them is entirely natural. Our whole landscape has been influenced by people. We have farmed it, harvested wood from it, built on it, planted things on it and generally […]

November may not seem like the most promising time to visit Denmark farm. Even so, you can find real gems, as we did on Wednesday during our Phase 1 survey course. Whilst walking across pond field Corrine, one of the participants, spotted some bright orange fungi, almost shining in the glorious sunlight. She collected a […]

Anyone with land to manage would be well advised to start off with a basic survey of the habitats present. This can provide the foundations for management planning, monitoring schemes and more detailed survey work. In the UK we have a standard methodology for such surveys, known as Phase 1 Habitat Survey and here at Denmark Farm […]

Next week we are welcoming back Phil the Bugman for a Big Butterfly day at Denmark Farm Conservation Centre. Everyone is welcome to join us on Wednesday 23rd July 2014 from 10am to 4pm. With Phil’s expert guidance you will learn to identify common Butterflies, monitor their numbers and maintain their habitat. This is a free event and part […]

Wednesday 12 February brought hurricane-force winds to Wales, with gusts exceeding 100mph recorded. After a long run of wet weather leading to saturated ground, it was not surprising, therefore, that many trees could not withstand the battering. Denmark Farm was no exception. On site we have many trees of different ages, including some that have […]

A recent highlight at Denmark Farm was the sighting of a kingfisher from the lakeside hide. At this time of year, juveniles are looking for territories of their own and can often turn up in gardens and local ponds in the hope of a quick snack. The lakeside hide provides an excellent viewing point, with the entrance to the hide concealed […]

This week’s blog post has been written by Daniel Butler who was teaching on the Aberystwyth University (SELL) Ecology of Fungi course run here at Denmark Farm last weekend. Although the leaves are still on the trees (Good God, it’s late November!), apparently snow is its way and most mushrooms are starting to look distinctly […]

June 8th to 16th June is Wales biodiversity week, and to celebrate this, a week of wildlife-themed events is being held across Wales.  At Denmark Farm, we are holding a ‘Marvellous moths’ night with Ceredigion moth group on Thursday 13th June from 8.30 to 10 pm, followed by a moth ‘morning after’ session at 10 am […]

There are lots of opportunities to provide a helping hand to wildlife this Spring, and here are just a few suggestions to get you started.   If you’re aged between 13 and 25, or know someone who is, how about becoming a ‘Hedgehog Champion’?  The Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)  is asking people to become […]

The Great Easter Newt Hunt is back for 2013, and continues throughout April! The Newt Hunt website contains all the information you need to carry out this simple survey, and explains how to identify the newts you find in your garden pond. Your sightings can then be submitted via the website. The organisers are especially keen for you to submit your sightings of […]

Here at Denmark Farm we have been busy finishing-off some winter wildlife jobs, with the help of our enthusiastic volunteers.  Before the end of March approaches, there’s still time to finish a few similar jobs in  your own garden or local patch. Aberystwyth Conservation volunteers have been stacking wood from our recently coppiced hedge – all […]

The recent snowy weather has revealed patterns that we might not see otherwise. Tracks leading to a regular hideaway beneath the bushes: A small mammal’s exit (or entrance!) hole emerging from a grassy tussock: A predator stalking its prey: Snowy patches on tree trunks, showing how uneven surfaces collect or slow down water, encouraging mosses […]

Our Big Lottery funded ‘Wildlife Where You Live’ project reaches its grand finale in 2013, but there is still plenty to get involved in. Our 12 communities clocked up an impressive 25 nature activities in Autumn,  from a fungal forays and bat evenings, to nature-themed bench carving workshops at Denmark Farm. We have an exciting […]