Powys is known for its rural nature and varied and beautiful landscapes; from extensive patchworks of enclosed farmland to the windswept moorlands above the Elan Valley and the rugged Cambrian Mountains. The county is rich in biodiversity with over 200 Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The wide variety of wildlife and habitats include examples of species identified within the UKBAP and as a priority for conservation within Wales, such as the rare pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, which relies on south facing bracken slopes and ffridd habitat, and the red squirrel which can be found in the vast coniferous forests of north-west Brecknock.
Powys Nature Partnership
The Powys Nature Partnership is a group of organisations and individuals working together to conserve Powys' wildlife for the future. The current partnership includes: Natural Resources Wales, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, Montgomery Wildlife Trust, Brecknock Wildlife Trust, the Biodiversity Information Service, FWAG Cymru, Severn Rivers Trust, Coed Cymru, the Wye and Usk Foundation and Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water, plus local experts and county recorders.
The Powys Nature Recovery Action Plan
A review of the Powys Local biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) was begun in 2016, the result of this will be the Powys Nature Recovery Action Plan (PNRAP.) The PNRAP will be an essential tool for developing projects and actions to be undertaken by conservation stakeholders and the general public to protect and enhance biodiversity and improve habitat connectivity at a landscape scale.
The PNRAP comprises a General Action Plan, seven Habitat Action Plans and three Species Action Plans. Draft action plans are being finalised following a review of Powys’ locally important species (ongoing) and spatial analysis of habitats to identify areas of key importance for maintaining connected, resilient semi-natural ecosystems. The actions plans will be supported by digital ‘opportunity maps’ to aid identification and targeting of locations for maintaining, enhancing, restoring or creating habitat to provide for wildlife in Powys.
The main aim of the PNRAP is to reverse the decline in biodiversity across mid-Wales through the protection and enhancement of Powys’ priority habitats and species. Alongside this work the Partnership aims to communicate the message of the importance of biodiversity for everyone in Powys. What it does for us, why preserving what we already have is important and how re-creating habitats at spatially significant locations can provide maximum benefit, not only for the ecosystem through increased ecosystem resilience; but for ourselves through ecosystem service benefits.
The Powys Nature Recovery Action Plan is due to be completed in 2018.