Green Living

GreenLiving

CLIMBING THE LADDER

Eleri Turner took her first steps in the mountains. Now she has returned as a conservation apprentice – and she’s brought the TV cameras with her.

Eleri Turner is in her element

Eleri Turner is enjoying life as an apprentice at Coleg Cambria with the Carneddau Landscape Partnership, a five-year National Heritage Lottery-funded scheme conserving an area of northern Snowdonia. The 23 year-old has been working alongside National Trust Cymru ranger Abbie Edwards, and the pair – who both hail from Bethesda – featured in a recent episode of BBC’s Countryfile. Their work clearing gorse around an Iron Age hut settlement on Moel Faban peak was watched by more than six million viewers. Having secured another year with the Snowdonia National Park Authority, Eleri is excited at what the future will bring. “It’s been so enjoyable, especially as this area of Snowdonia is right on my doorstep,” said Eleri, a former pupil at Ysgol Tryfan, Bangor. “I am looking forward to staying on with the conservation section and continuing in a further apprenticeship role, having completed the Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Environmental Conservation with the college.”

Eleri couldn’t be happier

Early start

“She learnt to walk on Moel Eleri took her first steps on Moel Faban” Faban, as her mum took her there to learn to walk! Her love of the outdoors was there to stay, and there’s only one thing she wants to do with her career.

“Growing up in the village I always imagined I’d live elsewhere after leaving school, but there is nowhere more beautiful to carry out work like this and nowhere I’d rather be,” she said. “Conservation is important to me, and this part of the world is very special, but I am also planning on taking a forest school qualification so I can help to teach children more about their surroundings and the environment.”

Reflecting on her Countryfile experience, Eleri added: “It was fantastic to be part of the programme and quite exciting as I had to speak and do some action shots with the presenter, showing them how to clear the gorse. The most important thing is it shone a light on this amazing project, which I’m proud to have been a part of.”

Watch this space

Hillsides are a prime site for planting We need to plant more trees. But they must be the right ones in the right places.

Some 80 per cent of our orchards have disappeared in the past few decades. We know that trees help to retain water, that their canopies create shade and cooling, but they are also vital for biodiversity, which is shockingly low in Britain.

Under the Parks and Gardens project in Wales, apple orchards are beginning to grace free spaces in our towns, supplying an enriched population of pollinating insects and helping to increase biodiversity. Some trees, however, have been destined for bolder things and soon we shall have the interesting sight of cider orchards gracing our hillsides. Richard Edwards is delivering the Productive Orchard Project, funded by the Welsh Government. He has been busy setting up small orchards of heritage varieties in community spaces – school playing fields, parks and tracts of land. Montgomery, Newtown, Kerry, Llandyssil and Caersws are among the fortunate recipients. An orchard can be as few as five fruiting trees: Richard has been planting four apple trees, a pear and a plum. The fruit is available for anyone to eat, but it is hoped it may initiate community activities. In Newtown, at the Pen Dinas headquarters of Cultivate, Richard has equipment for pressing and juicing; people will be able to take their harvested apples, berries and currants for juicing, pasteurising, even drying into jelly. But Richard is concerned that the longevity of the orchards will rely upon proper maintenance. New partners need to be found to invest in the work, to

“It is a inspect and prune the trees, project for and teach others to maintain their our grandchildren” orchards for themselves. It is a project for our future and that of our grandchildren and deserves to succeed. If you are interested in volunteering or donating, email the Cultivate team at info@cultivate.uk.com

Rescuingheritage varieties