Our story
About Llyn Parc Mawr Community Woodland Group
Who we are
In 2014 over 80 people living in the Newborough and district area held a meeting to discuss the possibility of the community being involved with the management of Newborough Forest.
Following three more community meetings we created the Llyn Parc Mawr Community Woodland Group. A period of negotiation with Natural Resources Wales ended in a management agreement for around 150 acres of Newborough Forest.
It’s important to remember that this group is for everyone in the local community, so if you’d like to get involved, you’ll be very welcome! There are always lots of exciting developments which create plenty to do for the group, so the more help we can get, the better!
Our purpose
The purpose of the Company is to establish Llyn Parc Mawr as a sustainable woodland area to benefit wildlife and contribute to the well-being of the community of Newborough and District and for public enjoyment:
- Ensuring productive, diverse and resilient forestry using appropriate silvicultural systems. Establishment and maintenance of a diverse range of functional wildlife habitats healthy, viable and resilient populations of native flora and fauna.
- Supporting the well-being maintenance of the people of Newborough and District by:
- Encouraging a sense of place
- Building community identity
- Providing a range of recreational and social activities and
- Opportunities for volunteering, training, work and education
Our Vision
The vision is to create a thriving woodland to improve the habitats and biodiversity of Llyn Parc Mawr and to contribute to the long-term well-being of the community. The area of woodland under the management of Llyn Parc Mawr Community Woodland Group (LPMCWG) will be managed for multiple objectives. The primary objectives are for recreation, health and well-being, biodiversity, small scale timber production to be used in the local economy and as a community education resource.
The vision for ten years’ time is to have a thriving connection and contribution from the community in connection with their woodland. People use, learn and enjoy being in the woodland and be actively engaged in conserving the environment for the well-being of the community and nature.
The woodland will become more diverse in tree species through planting a range of native and European broadleaved tree species and non-native coniferous species. In 50 years’ time the woodland will have semi-mature pine, oak and sweet chestnut in the canopy shared with a small percentage of over-mature Corsican pine. There will be a well-developed shrub layer and a diverse field layer. There will be an abundance of young trees in the field layer to act as replacements for the older trees as they are removed. The woodland will still be managed under continuous cover forestry and there will be a single tree selection system established to provide quality timber for the community.
What we do
We aim to manage Llyn Parc Mawr for wildlife and people. This work includes:
- Planting new trees, plants and bulbs
- Removing unsafe trees
- Clearing invasive species of plants
- Feeding the birds and red squirrels
- Clearing litter
- Mending fences
Some of our work is a little less outdoorsy, but very necessary!
- Gathering feedback and ideas from the forest’s users
- Surveying what’s already in the forest
- Writing newsletters
- Meeting the landlord regularly
- Discussing our future plans
- Meeting with other woodland groups
- Operating this website
- Keeping our social media accounts up to date
- Showing groups around
- Attending exhibitions
- Applying for grants
But we also hold lots of events and activities in the forest, so we get to have a lot of fun too!
- Children’s outdoor play sessions – Llyn Parc Pixies
- Bug hunts
- Animal and plant surveys
- Moth and bat walks
- Fungi forays
- Forest School sessions
- Woodland parties
- Seasonal events
Meet the team
The board
We are very grateful to our board members for the guidance and experience they are sharing with us to revitalise our community woodland.
Vivienne Plank
Chair
Cathy Sands
Sara Spinks
Treasurer
Hello, name is Sara and I live locally to this beautiful woodland.
I joined LPMCWG Board in March 2023 because I passionately want to help to sustain it and help to secure it for the future.
I’m a recently retired headteacher who spent most of my career working in deprived, inner-city schools with children who had very limited experience of nature. I made it my mission to change this and built one of the first forest schools in UK on a scrap of waste ground, enabling children and their families to experience and benefit from being amongst trees and the emerging wildlife. It transformed lives.
LPM continues to work it’s magic on me most days as my husband and I walk around with our 2 dogs!
Richard Boyce
Woodlands Works Manager
Richard is proprietor of Snowdonia Tree Services, his main areas of interest are trees, nature conservation and nature education. Richard is grateful to be part of the Llyn Parc Mawr community woodland group and wishes to conserve and enrich the species present in LPM.
Having two young boys Richard is keen to see them using LPM as a place for enjoyment and learning about nature, whilst making friends with others at LPM. Richard developed our plan to showcase trees of interest and encourage people to learn more about trees and their identification. Richard lives in Newborough.
Hilary Cooke
Events sub-committee and cook at community events
Hilary is passionate about nature and conserving for the future an environment which she enjoys every day. Hilary loves gardening, walking, outdoor cooking and foraging. She is a chef and has volunteered teaching people to cook. Hilary has experience organising fundraising events and is a part of a local horse group who practice and demonstrate the low impact method of horse logging. Hilary lives adjacent to Llyn Parc Mawr.
Tim Peters
Woodland Environment Officer
Tim has a diverse background in horticulture, agriculture and forestry and is passionate about protecting biodiversity and environmental sustainability. Since moving to Newborough he has studied a forestry degree at Bangor University, worked in environmental research at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and completed a PhD in Forest Ecology and Mycology. Outside of work he is a keen gardener, beekeeper and beer and cider brewer!
Sioned Williams
Meet the staff
Melissa Dhillon
Education Officer
Melissa is the Woodland Group’s Education Officer. She has a deep love and respect for nature and the environment, and thoroughly enjoys working in woodlands, and inspiring others to take an interest in the natural world and to connect with nature. She is qualified in Level 3 Social Forestry, Forest School and Volunteer Management. She is trained in Outdoor First Aid, and has completed numerous other training courses over the years since completing her degree in Psychology and Sociology. She has lots of experience of working with both children and adults running Forest School and Social Forestry programmes and projects, and she has done lots of volunteering work with community groups, schools, the Scouts Association, and Anglesey’s Outdoor Learning Wales network group, where she is the group’s secretary.
