TCAA / Local LAND Project ~ Newsletter Welcome everyone, we hope you all are safe and well in this rather strange year. After our launch party in April 2019, everything has rather taken its time to get moving, but we can finally confirm we have received the first allocation of our grant and can make a start on all the project plans. Reminder: We have over half a million pounds to spend locally to improve biodiversity and connectivity, community cohesion and nature & heritage education. The plans are there, now we just need YOU! Land Owners ~ in the project area We are now collecting Expression of Interest forms from landowners who wish to have some biodiversity and/or climate resistance work completed on their land. This is fully funded but must be done by a properly insured contractor. So, if you think the wildlife on your land would benefit from a new hedge, pond, copse or a laid hedge …. Return a form if your land is within a three mile of Mynydd Cynros to local.land.talley@gmail.com to register your interest. Grant allocation will be made based on best projects for wildlife and connectivity in the project area. Community Land ~ on Mynydd Cynros The TCAA manage approx. 60 acres on Mynydd Cynros opposite Talley Abbey, and we can now make progress with our plans to improve this area for visitors and wildlife. We plan initially to: Þ Improve parking Þ Install fencing to enable some conservation grazing Þ Clear footpaths Þ Improve signage Þ Start a Community Orchard Þ Plant 300+ new trees Courses ~ in countryside crafts As part of the grant we will be organising courses and training in some countryside crafts including: Þ Coppicing and woodland restoration Þ Hedgelaying Þ Willow weaving Þ Wildlife identification If there is a particular skill or craft you are interested in, please let us know. Bioblitz ~ in the local area between 14th December 2020 and 2nd January 2021 We would love everyone to help us record what wildlife we have in the area now, so we can track it throughout the life of the project. We have an amazing variety of wildlife already but would love to increase it – birds, plants, trees, insects and wild animals all need recording. You can use books, leaflets or apps to identify things …. For anything slightly unusual we will need photos to confirm identification. Useful Identification Apps for Smartphones: ‘Plant Snap’ for plants and ‘Seek’ for all wildlife. We’ll be collating all of your ‘spots’ in the New Year so send them through to us before 10th January 2021. Contact Details ~ TCAA & LAND Email ~ Tcaa2002@gmail.com or local.land.talley@gmail.com Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/groups/local.land.talley WhatsApp & Text ~ 07887 933335