Residents urged to lock up the lawnmower for ‘No Mow May’

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Monmouthshire County Council is urging people to lock up their lawnmowers for ‘No Mow May’. No Mow May was created by Plantlife as a way to encourage more people to allow spring flowers to bloom and provide food for bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators. 

Spring is the time of year that many wildflowers blossom and this first flush of nectar and pollen is essential for the survival of many insects, and the other birds and animals that feed on them.  The No Mow May campaign has engaged many organisations and individuals including the National Trust, businesses, and celebrity gardeners such as Monty Don championing the cause. 

Monmouthshire County Council will be taking part in No Mow May again this year, mowing areas only where there is a need, for example for safety at road junctions, to maintain pathways or to enable sports to be played. Citizen scientists who have taken part in Plantlife’s Every Flower Counts survey of household lawns have shown that reduced mowing can provide enough nectar for 10 times more pollinating insects.  Researchers found 200 different plant species on lawns, some of them rarities such as eyebright and knotted clover.  The most common flowers are daisies, white clover and selfheal, and over half a million individual flowers were counted during the surveys. More flowers are found on lawns that are cut every four weeks, because short stemmed flowers such as daisies, selfheal and dandelions have a chance to bloom. A greater variety of flowers, but not necessarily larger numbers, are found on lawns that are left to grow even longer.

Plantlife’s research shows the huge benefits to pollinators of mowing less frequently. They recommend that some areas are cut monthly to allow short stemmed flowers to bloom, and to leave other areas to grow long which encourages a wider range of plants to flower, and these will attract different pollinators such as hoverflies and a greater variety of bumblebees.

Monmouthshire’s Nature Isn’t Neat programme of reduced mowing fits with Plantlife’s findings, as many more green spaces will be mown less frequently across the County in an effort to support the nation’s struggling pollinators and insects.  There are other important benefits to reduced mowing, for example, longer grass has a better root system, which opens up the soil and makes it more absorbent and better able to deal with the kind of heavy rainfall that a changing climate is bringing.  Longer grass can also absorb more CO2, so can act as a carbon sink.

There is still time for local residents to take part in a survey to find out what local people think about mowing green spaces less often, and the impacts of this on wildlife and on people too. 

Nature Isn’t Neat public perception survey (office.com)

The Nature Isn’t Neat programme has been funded by Welsh Government and National Heritage Lottery Fund and has enabled Monmouthshire County Council to purchase specialist machinery suitable for cutting and collecting longer grass, and provide information to local residents about the importance of these changes for supporting biodiversity.

Gilwern Outdoor Adventure

The Covid pandemic has hit the outdoor industry hard but we have been lucky to have the support of MonLife, Monmouthshire County Council and Welsh Government.

Since the beginning of the year we have been a re-engagement program working with targeted Monmouthshire pupils.

The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme has been running throughout the pandemic with online meetings and now staff are happy to be back in schools working face to face. The weather may not be ready for us but the expeditions season has started and it will be a very busy summer.

As things start to reopen we look at the changes that have taken place over the last 15 months. MonLife are also looking at investment into the Gilwern Outdoor Adventure Centre – some really exciting times ahead.

As we await the next review from the Department for Education on when residential trips can recommence we have in the meantime been working with local schools delivering activities on the school sites. This is part of a wider program we are developing as adventurous outdoor activities are now part of the new national curriculum.

The increasing levels of outdoor learning in schools as a result of the pandemic is a positive which we all need to engage with, embrace and enjoy whatever the weather.

Call to get Monmouthshire buzzing with wildlife

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL POLLINATOR PACKS HAVE NOW SOLD OUT

Monmouthshire County Council is pleased to offer residents and community groups an exciting opportunity to get involved and to enjoy the nature and wildlife in their own gardens or local open spaces.

The Resilient Greater Gwent project is being funded by Welsh Government’s Enabling of Natural Resources and Wellbeing Grant, and aims to promote nature to encourage communities to value their landscapes and wildlife and to also get involved for their own health and wellbeing. Residents are able to apply for pollinator packs, which include all the tools needed to create a pollinating paradise in their own green spaces. The project follows the council’s commitment to promoting biodiversity and encouraging nature to thrive.

It comes at a time where pollinators are in decline across Wales, Britain and Europe and have been for many years. In Wales, the main groups of pollinators are bees and wasps, flies (including hoverflies), butterflies, moths and beetles. Collectively, these are responsible for pollinating approximately 75% of temperate flowering plant species and critical to maintaining human life. 

Residents wishing to turn their garden’s into the perfect habitat for pollinating species, can apply for a free ‘Pollinator Pack’. The pack includes:

• Wildflower seeds to scatter in gardens to grow a beautiful variety of pollinator friendly plants and flowers.
• An insect house to attract a variety of species.
• Illustrated wildlife guides to help identify the visitors that are attracted to green spaces.

Monmouthshire residents are also being offered the chance to loan a trail camera to record wildlife in community gardens, open spaces or school grounds. These portable infrared trail cameras use motion sensors to record images and video of animals or birds that might pass by. The LED array even allows video footage and pictures to be captured in complete darkness.

These trail cameras are available to loan free of charge. The cameras will be available to community groups, their members as well as schools. 

To apply for a free pollinator pack or to loan one of our wildlife cameras, please email Helen Fairbank, Behaviour Change for Wellbeing Officer at helenfairbank@monmouthshire.gov.uk

For more information about the Resilient Greater Gwent Project, please see https://www.monlife.co.uk/connect/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-projects/

Enabling more Countryside Access Visits

In the last newsletter we documented how there has been an increase in usage on our public paths. This increased usage has been maintained in 2021 and is also true on our countryside sites. Castle Meadows had a staggering 98,550+ people use the site. An increase of 41.25%.

Local routes are recognised, as important for people’s health and well-being, so when footbridges become dangerous or go missing, this has an adverse effect on many people.

One such bridge issue affecting many local people was caused when flooding by Storm Dennis washed away the bridge (at The Sandhouse near Skenfrith) down the River Wye. Thanks to a Welsh Government flood grant, a new stronger footbridge has just been installed and the footpath is now available for both local and visitor use again.

The team have worked hard to make routes more accessible to all. Another example is the new footbridge installed alongside the River Usk near Pant y Goetre Farm. This replaces the old sleeper ditch crossing making it a far more commodious crossing point for a popular riverside walk in the Usk Valley. We thank the local farmer for his assistance.

We have also been pleased to receive suggestions for route improvements. In Mathern Chepstow Walkers Welcome suggested changing two stiles to gates, enabling more people to use the route. We approached the landowner who agreed to the improvements.

Similarly, we were able to provide information to the The Narth & District Footpath Group, leading to Natural Resources Wales adding a permissive route to Trellech Furnace from Woolpitch Wood to their inspection and maintenance schedule.

Thanks to a £83,000 Welsh Government Access Improvement Grant (AIG), several more bridges and a large amount of signage and gates were purchased to help several of our volunteer groups improve their paths this summer. It also helped with some of the surfacing and gate improvements at Rogiet Country Park, enabling more people to use the park and Rogiet Junior Parc Run to take place all year round.

Increased usage and climate change has meant we are investigating alternative sustainable materials. We recently found a new use for recycled bottles, which are turned into different polymers, mixed and fused under high temperatures then pressed into moulds. The resulting plastic posts formed the base of our new boardwalks in Shirenewton and Mathern. Not only can the plastic be reused at the end of its life, but it should save us the equivalent of 8 boardwalks in its life time. This is particularly good news as the boardwalk in Shirenewton is also a safe walking route to school. These boardwalks and their installation were also paid for from the AIG

In Monmouth the footpath, linking the Kings Gate Housing Development to Wonastow Industrial Estate became a muddy quagmire, unfit for people with mobility problems or with pushchairs. The path is part of an Active Travel route upgrade, but until this happens, we have assisted our Highways colleagues by installing 300 metres of plastic matting, new gates and a bridge. The matting will be used elsewhere when it is no longer required.

The above are examples of recent activity to maintain and improve paths for everyone. In the last financial year, the team resolved 2598 clearance, 632 gates, 1759 signage and 518 bridge issues. If you want to know more about how we manage sites and public rights of way please see our countryside access webpages.

The Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail will be celebrating its 50th birthday this year. These discs will be put up at different locations along the route so that walkers can do selfies with them. All walkers who participate during the month of July will receive a free key ring. If conditions continue to improve, we hope to reinstate our popular walking events, starting with three circular routes that will take you along different parts of Offa’s Dyke in Monmouthshire.

MonLife Leisure Centre’s are Making The Comeback

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Following on from the positive announcement made by the First Minister we are pleased to announce that we will be opening our gym, swimming pool facilities, Indoor Exercise Classes and swimming lessons at all four Leisure Centres and the Toning Suite at Monmouth on Tuesday 4th May in line with the Welsh Government guidelines. 

Prior to this on the 26^th April we will also be launching the Les Mills Body Pump series which will see the start of our outdoor classes, we will be launching our outdoor timetable over the next few days so keep a look out on social media for further updates.  There will be a maximum of 30 adults (including instructors) that can attend these sessions.

As before when we open up the gym, swimming pool and indoor group exercise classes for your safety there will be limited numbers. These sessions will be bookable online for members and launched over the next few days.

Membership payments will resume from the 15^th May and will be adjusted accordingly. All accounts will be automatically unfrozen with the exception of Swimming Lessons, please contact the membership team it you wish your account to stay frozen.

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support and kind messages during this difficult period and we are all looking forward to welcoming you all back safely.

We would love to hear about your experience being back in your MonLife Leisure Centre so please let us know.

If you have an enquiry regarding your MonLife membership then please email monmemberships@monmouthshire.gov.uk or call 01633 644499.

SEE YOU VERY SOON

MonLife Tearooms Open at Old Station welcoming its 2000th customer

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Despite the difficult times that we have all faced, we were delighted that after 6 months of hard work the newly refurbished Tearooms at Old Station Tintern is now open!

Now managed by MonLife, we have launched a complete new menu and high quality light lunch offer with a huge emphasis on local quality suppliers, with even our coffee being roasted in Wales!

Tearoom Supervisor Ellie Thomas – “It’s really been an outstanding success to date we have only been open a month and already attracted our 2000th customer this week, who between them all have drunk an incredible 3000 cups of coffee. It is however our local cakes that everyone has been raving about! I guess we are so lucky here in Monmouthshire to have so many excellent local producers and suppliers that we can keep adding more and more local items week by week”

The Tearooms at Old Station Tintern are open daily 10.00 am – 4.30 pm and offers a varied menu of snacks, sandwiches, paninis, hot and cold drinks.

It has even been a huge success with the many dog walkers who frequent the site who cant seem to resist the doggy ice cream and free dog biscuits available.

MonLife Heritage Joins the World of Instagram #Winning

Connectivity to the world around us has become something of a daily necessity. Our phones, tablets and laptops, are never far away from us, meaning that we can check up on local community news, travel, weather, what our family and friends have been up to and more – all before stepping foot out of our door. For most of us we thrive off the convenience of connectivity and there’s no denying that the past year has taught us new ways to keep in touch with our loved ones and work colleagues.

Whether you took part in a live Facebook workout from one of the MonLife Leisure Centres, liked and commented on a MonLife Twitter post, clicked a link from MonLife Heritage or shared a MonLife post to your personal social media page to spread the word, we can all agree that we have recognised the importance of a good platform over the past year.

In March, we at MonLife Heritage decided to join the wonderful world of Instagram – www.instagram.com/monlifeheritage to see what all the fuss is all about, we’re glad we joined as it’s an incredibly connective place to be.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with Instagram, it’s a global photographic and video sharing platform, that can be used for both personal and commercial purposes, to network with others through liking, sharing, commenting and following. So far, the main focus of our Instagram page has been to promote our new Collections website – www.monlifecollections.co.uk that went live at the end of March and we’ve recently been posting about the reopening of our museums at Abergavenny and Chepstow.

As with our Facebook and Twitter page, all of the latest updates on MonLife Heritage news and events are posted to our Instagram page, along with our new feature – Record of the Week, where we share details and photographs of an object from our new Collections website.

We are always looking for new ways to bring informative content to our followers and expanding our reach on Instagram, so we’d love it if you could head over to our page and tap the follow button.

Open Access Play Opportunities through MonLife

DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, THESE SESSIONS HAVE NOW BEEN FULLY BOOKED

Open Access Play Opportunities empowers children and young people to engage in a wide variety of play activities in a safe supervised environment.

Children will have access to a range of play based activities which will all be based outdoors for the Easter holidays.

The MonLife Open Access Play provision will take place at Abergavenny, Monmouth, Caldicot and Chepstow Leisure Centre.  All sessions are FREE and your child will learn new skills through a range of different activities and develop their confidence through meeting new people.

Following the current Government guidelines these sessions will take place outside and will be 1 hour and 55mins long.  There will be a maximum of 30 children per session per day and will run from 10am – 11:55am.  These sessions are for 5 – 11 years only.

To register your interest please complete the following form – you will then receive a call from the relevant Leisure Centre to confirm your booking.

To register your interest click HERE

Please be advised that if there are any changes following the Welsh Government announcement and guidelines we will communicate the cancellation of sessions.

Please click HERE for a list of FAQ’s

Council to create community nature spaces for Monmouth’s Rockfield Estate

Monmouthshire County Council is to consult over plans to encourage nature to thrive around Monmouth’s Rockfield estate.  It follows a grant from the Welsh Government’s Local Places for Nature fund to undertake a study that involves residents in developing nine community nature spaces and designing enhancements for nature at four neighborhood play areas across Overmonnow.

Community nature spaces include areas for growing vegetables, flowers and fruit trees and tree planting as well as re-wilding areas into mini meadows, offering opportunities for residents to enjoy nature and for children to play.  In addition to providing benefits for residents, they also present valuable habitats for pollinators and other forms of wildlife.

The council has appointed specialist environmental consultancy Pegasus Group to carry out a detailed survey of the sites, public consultation, planning and design works.  This study will enable the community nature spaces to become a reality during the 2021/22 financial year, subject to further funding approval from Welsh Government.

The project is likely to involve transforming some of the smaller and less well-used amenity play areas into community nature spaces.  Meanwhile, the council will expand the playground at the central open space next to the Rockfield Community Centre to cater for children of a wider age range and provide more accessible play equipment.

Councillor Jane Pratt, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member with responsibility for parks and open spaces said: “Among the lessons that the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have taught us is the importance of a variety of good quality and easily accessible open spaces so families and individuals can spend time together outdoors experiencing nature on their doorstep.”

Councillor Richard John, cabinet member with responsibility for bio-diversity added: “This project is another step in the council’s journey to improve local environments and benefit pollinators.”

In addition to engaging with local residents, the council will involve other project stakeholders including the local county council member, Monmouth Town Council, Transition Monmouth, ACE (Action on Climate Emergency), Gwent Wildlife Trust, Rockfield Community Centre and NRW (Natural Resources Wales).

A short questionnaire about the project can be accessed via the following link: www.monnaturespaces.co.uk – also, anyone wishing to comment on or become involved in the project can forward an email to: naturespaces@pegasusgroup.co.uk