Sirhowy Hill Woodlands Achieves First Green Flag Community Award

Administrator — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:14:43 +0000

Celebrating Our Community

Sirhowy Hill Woodlands Achieves Its First Green Flag Community Award

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Sirhowy Hill Woodlands has received its first-ever Green Flag Community Award for 2026/27!

The prestigious Green Flag Community Award will fly at Sirhowy Hill Woodlands for the very first time following the announcement of the 2026 Green Flag Award winners by Keep Wales Tidy.

The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces. It sets the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

A Wonderful Achievement for Our Volunteers

The award is a wonderful reflection of the hard work of our dedicated volunteers. Their time, care and skills help the woodland continue to thrive as a welcoming and accessible space for our community, visitors and local wildlife.

Green Flag Community Awards celebrate high-quality, volunteer-run green spaces, including community gardens and local nature reserves. We are incredibly proud that Sirhowy Hill Woodlands CIC has now joined the many inspiring community spaces recognised through the scheme.

A Record Year for Wales

A record 330 parks and green spaces across Wales reached the high standards required to receive recognition through the Green Flag Awards in 2026.

93
Full Green Flag Awards

237
Green Flag Community Awards

Keep Wales Tidy Celebrates the Winners

In Wales, the Green Flag Award scheme is managed by Keep Wales Tidy. Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said:

Wales is truly setting the standard when it comes to outstanding green spaces, with 330 places recognised in this year’s Green Flag Awards. From flagship parks and vibrant woodlands to historic sites and community spaces, Wales has shown year after year that it has an unwavering commitment to nurturing inclusive green spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone.

We are especially proud of all our Green Flag Community Award winners which reach the award’s high standards due to the hard work and dedication of volunteers who give their time and skills to ensure these special places thrive and can be enjoyed by many others.

Green spaces play a vital part in supporting the health and wellbeing of communities across Wales, and we’d like to thank everyone who plays a part in that.

— Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy

Thank You to Our Community

We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to every volunteer, supporter and member of the community who has contributed to this achievement. This award belongs to all of you, and we look forward to continuing our work to protect, improve and celebrate Sirhowy Hill Woodlands for years to come.

Woodlands: A Triumph for Conservation

Susy Arnold — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 17:41:31 +0000

Introduction

In an exciting development at Sirhowy Hill Woodlands, we are thrilled to reveal some remarkable recent discoveries made within our local nature reserve.During a visit by Liam olds of Buglife to advise us on how best to manage our grasslands and wood edges in our diverse colliery spoil habitats, we had the privilege of witnessing the presence of two extraordinary bee species: the Tormentil Mining Bee (Andrena tarsata) and the Bilberry/Whimberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola). These findings shed light on the ecological significance of Sirhowy Hill Woodlands and the success of our conservation endeavours in Blaenau Gwent County, Wales.

Background

The Tormentil Mining Bee, a nationally scarce bee species of conservation priority in Wales and England, has now graced our woodlands with its presence. Notably, this elusive bee had previously been observed in only one other location within Gwent. The inaugural sighting in Blaenau Gwent County bolsters our understanding of local biodiversity and solidifies Sirhowy Hill Woodlands as a sanctuary of exceptional ecological value.

The Tormentil Mining Bee (Andrena tarsals)

Photo curtesy of Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative

Happily for us the Tormentil Mining Bee (Andrena tarsata) has taken its rightful place in our woodlands as a captivating species with significant conservation importance. As a nationally scarce bee, its population has experienced a decline throughout the United Kingdom, necessitating focused efforts for its protection and preservation. We are honoured to provide a habitat conducive to the survival and prosperity of this vital pollinator and Liam has advised us on making sure the patches of tormentil which it depends on and is its preferred forage, throughout our woodland don’t get diminished by scrub and woodland encroachment. The presence of the Tormentil Mining Bee at Sirhowy Hill Woodlands stands as a testament to our dedication to conservation and the extraordinary biodiversity harboured within our local nature reserve.

The Bilberry/Whimberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola):

Curtesty of Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative

During our walk, we were blessed with yet another remarkable discovery—the Bilberry/Whimberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola). This magnificent species, known to inhabit upland areas, faces a concerning decline in its population. Each sighting holds immense significance as we strive to monitor and protect this invaluable contributor to our ecosystem. The observation of the Bilberry/Whimberry Bumblebee within Sirhowy Hill Woodlands not only adds to our understanding of its distribution but also underscores the rich variety of habitats fostered within our woodlands.

Conservation Triumph

The disvovery of the Tormentil Mining Bee and the Bilberry/Whimberry Bumblebee at Sirhowy Hill Woodlands represents a momentous triumph for conservation. These findings exemplify the success of our ongoing efforts to safeguard and restore colliery spoil habitats. By providing a nurturing environment for these rare bee species, Sirhowy Hill Woodlands serves as a vital cornerstone in upholding local biodiversity and bolstering the broader ecological well-being of Blaenau Gwent County.it also underscores how necessary it is to get some baseline in depth surveys done as we may have lots more special species there that we don’t yet know about,as the last ecological survey was done in 2013 !!!

Conclusion

The presence of the Tormentil Mining Bee and the Bilberry/Whimberry Bumblebee within Sirhowy Hill Woodlands fills us with immense pride and renewed determination to improve the grassland habitats for the benefit of invertabrates theseextraordinary discoveries not only emphasise the significance of our woodlands as a refuge for rare and threatened bee species but also demonstrate the positive impact of our conservation endeavours. We are also very grateful to the entire Sirhowy Hill Woodlands community and volunteers for their unwavering commitment to preserving our natural heritage. Together, we hope to continue to safeguard and conserve the ecological wonders and their habitats that grace our local nature reserve for now and for the future.