LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME


[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Doubt over forest threat 

Fears that red squirrels may be threatened by a wind farm development close to Brechfa Forest have proved to be unfounded.

TV presenter and wildlife expert Iolo Williams highlighted the plight of the red squirrel in Carmarthenshire on his recent Natur Cymru programme.

Viewers were lucky enough to watch one of the elusive mammals being filmed feeding on the forest floor, which is a rare sight.

Red squirrels recently hit local headlines when campaigners hoping to halt the Blaengwen wind farm development close to Brechfa Forest claimed that, following Iolo’s programme, there was evidence that red squirrels were living in the woods.

The campaigners expressed fears that the location of wind turbines may have an adverse effect on red squirrels.

But it turns out that the squirrels were not filmed in Brechfa Forest but were filmed in forestry at Rhandirmyn, near Llandovery, with no confirmed sightings of Brechfa Forest red squirrels for some years.

A press officer for S4C said the confusion derived from a recent piece in a Welsh newspaper that quoted Iolo Williams.

He confirmed that the squirrels were not filmed in Brechfa Forest.

However, several weeks ago Iolo Williams stated that the squirrels were filmed in Brechfa. He said: “Red squirrels were filmed in Brechfa recently for a series on S4C.

“There are maybe four small areas in Wales where red squirrels are holding on in the wild – and I mean just holding on. They are Anglesey, two areas in North Wales and here at Brechfa.”

A statement from the council added that Iolo’s programme found out about the squirrels because of the work being undertaken by the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Project.

Over the past five years the group has been researching the mammals in coniferous forests in Carmarthenshire, Powys and Ceredigion. Survey work has indicated that Mid Wales may have the largest and most genetically diverse population in Wales.

Red squirrels, once widespread throughout Wales, have seriously declined in numbers.

Today, the spread of grey squirrels, which out-compete reds for food and spread a deadly virus, means remaining reds are only just hanging on in the non-native conifer forests, while the greys are spreading further into the conifer forests.

Evening Post

23 April 2008

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky