RHONDDA CYNON TAF ACTION FOR NATURE PLAN
These actions are aimed at schools, to help inspire the next generation to love and care for the natural world around them ​
Case Study
Eels in the Classroom
The European eel is critically endangered, IUCN red listed, and it is estimated we have lost around 90% of UK eels in the past century. Almost everything likes to eat them at all stages of their life including humans. Habitat loss, barriers to their free migration and the illegal smuggling of eels to Asia for food are all further adding to the decline of this very enigmatic species.
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As a result, 60% of European eels caught must go to a Europe wide restocking program. As part of this work, South-east Wales Rivers Trust are working with The Sustainable Eel group to runs Eels in the Classroom. Schools look after a tank of glass eels for a term, feed them, clean the tank, learn about their amazing lifecycle and the plight they face. Then we return them to our local rivers once they are elvers to give them a better chance of survival. If we can get one female back across the Sargasso Sea to spawn, she will lay up to a million eggs.
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We hope to run the project with at least three primary schools in RCT in 2022, focussing on the Cynon catchment.
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Keep up to date with the project here.
Learn more about eels amazing lifecycle here.
Case Study
Is Martin at Home?
A great title for a project to raise awareness of birds like house martins that use our homes as their homes. Back in 2000, at the start of the first Action for Nature plan, swifts were an action plan species and already suffering a decline in nest sites due to home improvements. The project included the poster, a schools teaching pack and a more widespread survey combined with an old fashioned media campaign.
‘Is Martin at Home?’ was a great success with a number of primary and secondary schools taking part. In total 94 recording sheets, were received and 246 house martin nests were reported. In places the results were spectacular with Cwmlai School, Coedely recording a staggering 38 house martin and 2 swift nests within their school. Interesting anecdotes were included for example a local saying: "A house with house martins is a happy home" and an observation that house martins had ‘Reoccupied nest after sparrows’.
In 2021, concern about the plight of swifts was exacerbated by the poor spring weather. A limited rerun of the survey in schools in Ferndale and Maerdy, and site visit by the Glamorgan Bird Club to Ferndale confirmed that the hirundines are in big trouble. There were no responses from the schools and no house martin cups were seen and only one swift nest site identified. A project is now in development to increase nest sites on public buildings and develop the awareness campaign, especially in relation to roof insulation.
