Reconciling Conservation & Recreation
At S-A we all love being outdoors. We want to get out and do our thing, introduce others to the places we love and turn people on to this great part of the world. We also know that we have a responsibility to look after the environment and keep our impact to a minimum. Some people think that some places are too special and too sensitive to carry all the people who want to enjoy them. Getting this balance right, we think is summed up by the phrase Reconciling Conservation & Recreation.
We don’t think it is sensible to bury our heads in the sand and hope the the problems of managing recreation in sensitive habitats goes away. Under the Reconciling Conservation & Recreation heading we have produced a number of resources which aim to provide good practice advice for a range of activities and habitats in Wales.
Groups in Gorges – Reconciling Conservation & Recreation
A development project funded by Environment Agency Wales SPLASH fund.
As part of the Reconciling Conservation & Recreation series of films, this video was produced to help people enjoy the Gorges of Wales in a responsible and sustainable way. For many years the gorges of Wales have been a wonderful resource for adventure activities such as gorgewalking and canoeing. However, they are also nationally and internationally important from a conservation perspective, particularly for the rare plants that grow in
the highly humid environment provided by the almost constantly running water. With increasing numbers of people enjoying the opportunities offered by outdoor recreation in the UK, the number of people using these gorges has also risen. However, the designation of some of these gorges as special European sites means that we all need to ensure that activities on these sites are not damaging to the important wildlife and environment which is so attractive and important for conservation.
Enjoying the Rivers & lakes of Wales - Reconciling Conservation & Recreation
Client: Countryside Council for Wales & Environment Agency Wales
In 2010 The Welsh Assembly’s sustainability committee published a report on Access to Inland Water in Wales. It outlined recommendations as to how it would like to see access improved on inland water bodies in Wales. Specific recommendations were made on the importance of the development of a Waterside Code and how the rights and responsibilities of users and access owners should be promoted and advertised.
As part of the Reconciling Conservation & Recreation series of films, this video was produced to help people enjoy the inland waters of Wales in a responsible and sustainable way. Freshwater is an essential resource used in almost every part of our lives. There is a great deal of pressure on the rivers and lakes of Wales from climate change, water regulation, agriculture, industry and invasive species. With the growing recreational activity on these waterways it’s important that all of us; anglers, paddlers and wild swimmers play our part in minimising our impacts. If this use is to be
sustainable then we all need to act responsibly and be aware of the sensitivity of the environment in which our activity is taking place.
The White Guide: Reconciling Conservation & Recreation – Winter Climbing in Snowdonia
Project sponsored by CCW, BMC, SNPA.
Working with Ground Up Climbing Media to produce and distribute a booklet, along with online resources, detailing the key messages on sustainable use of winter climbing routes in Snowdonia. These routes are often on designated sites, home to rare and delicate alpine plants.