A Rhyl nature reserve has been recognised for its contribution to supporting local nature.
Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve was honoured at the recent Wales in Bloom 2024 awards ceremony at Abergavenny.
Denbighshire Countryside Services and volunteers supported by Nature for Health have worked to improve the site both for nature and for the enjoyment of the local community.
Ongoing development work has seen a new 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.
Areas have also been improved around the nature reserve to encourage more water voles to make their home at 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.
Entering for the first time, Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve has been classed as Level 4 ‘Thriving’ under the Royal Horticulture Society and Wales in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood awards 2023. 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.
Countryside Ranger Vitor Evora explained: “We are really proud that the work of our volunteers alongside our team at Brickfield Pond has been recognised, especially with all the projects we have worked on here recently. It’s a really great spot for nature and a lovely community site for Rhyl which we hope to keep on improving into the future.
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 all their hard work.”
