VIP Wednesday, 12th February 2020

Many followers will know that Wednesday has become our traditional volunteering day, so today I was joined by one of our VIP's, (volunteer in parks) another Paul.

The volunteers have a project to refurbish the entrance to Pembrey Country Park complimenting the soon to be installed new entrance sign, and in doing so improve the ground flora to benefit pollinators.

The area either side of the barrier has looked neglected for sometime so it was with some determination that the two of us set about tackling the "easy" right hand side.

The idea is to open up the approaching vista, get more light to the ground under the mature trees and generally just make the entrance more welcoming. 

Armed with our new tools funded by Welsh Government via the Local Nature Partnership we set about making light work of the task !!!!

Before

VIP Paul in action

We soon discovered that the majority of the saplings were already dead, with the remainder suffering from natural dieback. In around three hours we had cleared all the saplings achieving part one of the plan. We are left with three piles of timber which will either be chipped or used as a  "dead hedge" elsewhere in the park; a dead hedge is exactly what it says a hedge made up of dead timber through which other vegetation can grow forming a useful barrier.

Part two of the plan will see the area in front of the low wall covered with topsoil and chipped bark ready for planting with pollinator plants- which brings me to another point, as this is a volunteer project would any readers like to volunteer some plants to be used in this area? if you are feeling generous then get in touch....

After!

The slate sign will be repainted and the slate oiled

Compare the first photograph and see that

Stage 1 is completed, next landscaping then plants

If anyone fancies some banter and physical exercise or perhaps is good with an artists paint brush get in touch, always room for one or two more.

The left hand side of the entrance will be seeing the same work with the addition of the removal of the wooden fence, but that's for another day!

Storm Ciara update Tuesday 11th February

Memorable for all the wrong reasons storm Ciara slammed into the UK over the weekend, with coastal communities along the West coast being battered with high winds and rain.

Image from Met Eireann

At Pembrey the storm has left an interesting trail of damage, with the RAF Pembrey Sands weather station recording sustained wind speeds of 45mph and gusts of around 62mph. Combined with the tide at the peak of the monthly cycle with high tides of 9.0m there were bound to be consequences.

The line of dunes from Tywyn Point at the Western edge of Cefn Sidan  to The Nose at the Eastern edge has borne the brunt of both wind and tide with tonnes of sand being eroded from the dunes leaving high flat dune faces, which has resulted in advice not to access the beach from either CE54 or CE 55. With plenty of winter weather still to go it is likely that there will be further erosion of the dunes.

The benches at the main beach entrance! (photo L Walters)

Dramatic dunes and seascape (L Walters)

Remembering that all of this is the natural cycle of the coast is sometimes hard to appreciate, nonetheless it is natural, albeit now happening on a more regular basis. The sand will not have gone far and we will in all probability see accretion (that's the technical term for the sand being deposited) further along the coast and/or just offshore forming higher sandbanks.

The effect of the wind on objects on the beach can be seen in these "shell sculptures"

As devastating as this erosion appears nature has a remarkable way of repairing or compensating for such events, it may take years to see the outcomes of these events. Driftwood in all it's guises helps in the protection of the dunes, not least by providing a structure against which sand can build up, a good reason not to remove or burn driftwood on the beach. 

Considerable quantities of marine litter have been washed ashore as well as much marine life in the form of seaweeds such as Kelps, Thongweed, an assortment of Wracks, along with a great array of the remains of crabs, and a myriad of empty shells and cases such as this near perfect Sea Potato, a Sea Urchin which lives buried in the sand

Anyone with any interest in beachcombing could do a lot worse than investing in a personal favourite of mine  "The Essential guide to Beachcombing and the Strandline" by Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher.

The woodland areas of the park did not escape unscathed with trees toppled in  a number of places, a salutory reminder that when the "keep out of the woodlands" signs go up they go up to protect visitors!

With another named storm "Dennis" due this weekend winter is not yet done.....