Dare Valley Community Woodland

14/08/2026

✨ August’s Site of the Month is Aberdare Canal ✨

Visit this month to see colourful flag iris and water plantain in bloom. Dragonflies are abundant and grayling are a good sign of clean water. If you’re lucky, you may see a flash of blue above the water as kingfishers hunt for minnow.

📍 Aberdare
https://orlo.uk/Map_XfmKj

02/08/2026

What an amazing day to celebrate first harvest. Candle, Bell & Drum is one of the wonderful people that hire our woodland for health, wellbeing, education & nature connection.

Follow her page to keep up to date with her events!

30/07/2026

🌳Join Us: Volunteer Director Needed!🌳

Friends of Graigwen Woods is looking for a passionate and hands-on Director to join our dedicated voluntary committee.

As a committee member, you will play a vital role in guiding the future of our local woodland—ensuring it remains a safe, flourishing, and beautiful community space for everyone to enjoy.

🌳What We’re Looking For🌳

While we welcome enthusiasm from all backgrounds, we are particularly keen to hear from individuals with experience in:

Woodland & Land Management: Knowledge of forestry, conservation practices, biodiversity, or environmental maintenance.

Project Management: Skills in planning, organizing community initiatives, managing timelines, or coordinating volunteer workdays.

🌳What You’ll Be Doing🌳

Attending committee meetings to make strategic decisions for the woods.

Helping oversee current and upcoming woodland conservation projects.

Supporting grant applications, funding opportunities, or local outreach initiatives.

Working alongside volunteers, local residents, and external partners.

🌳Why Join Us?🌳

Make a tangible, lasting difference to your local green space.

Help protect local biodiversity and foster community connection.

Work alongside a friendly, welcoming team of fellow volunteers.

🌳Interested in joining?🌳

To express your interest or ask any questions, please email us or message us directly - We’d love to hear from you!

22/07/2026

03/07/2026

How beautiful is this comma butterfly?🦋

According to Butterfly Conservation, the comma butterfly has seen significant growth in abundance and distribution, particularly in England and Wales, and is now commonly found in gardens, woodlands, and other habitats.

They love to eat thistle and nettle, which many would remove due to their prickliness, however we have both in abundance at our woodland. It just goes to show that plants that are considered “weeds” to be removed are favourite plants to other animals.

The next time you go to remove a thistle, consider leaving them there if you’d like to see comma butterflies dancing around your garden.

02/07/2026

We were very pleased to see that trail cameras set up in our woodland over the past 2 weeks captured a badger and a fox visiting our woodland at night! 🦊🦡

The trail cameras provide a valuable insight into the wildlife that thrives here after dark, often unseen by those visiting during the day. Monitoring the woodland in this way helps us build a greater understanding of the species that share this habitat and reinforces the importance of protecting these natural spaces.

What will the trail cameras capture next? 📸

📸: Rhodri Viney

25/06/2026

Taking care of our feathered friends during the heatwave - Frozen peas 🫛 , shade and cold water 🚿 makes for happy 🐓 🦆

16/06/2026