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Edition 1
A warm welcome to this first edition of the South East Wales Area Statement newsletter. We hope to provide you with updates on the progress of the Area Statement, highlight partner organisations, and celebrate collaborative work across the South East region which supports the shared vision for the natural environment in Gwent and supports the four pillars of wellbeing (social, cultural, environmental and economic).
This first edition will be a look back on the work that has been achieved so far with a forward look of what's coming up.
The key to delivering the South East Area Statement is working together in a joined up way. If you have a project that you’d like to share in future editions, need support to connect with other organisations to work collaboratively, or would like to discuss how Natural Resources Wales can support you, please get in touch.
Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
Facebook Natural Resources Wales South East @CyfNatCymDD
Twitter Natural Res Wales SE @CyfNatCymDD
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What are Area Statements?
Hopefully, many of you are familiar with Natural Resources Wales' Area Statements, but as a quick reminder, they were launched in early 2020 and cover seven separate and diverse parts of the country. Each Area Statement outlines the key challenges facing that particular locality, what we can all do to meet those challenges, and how we can better manage our natural resources for the benefit of future generations.
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The four themes of the South East Wales Area Statement, covering the Local Authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen, sometimes referred to as Gwent, are as follows:
We have taken a landscape approach to producing the South East Area Statement. This means that we have considered where and why we want to build ecosystem resilience in terms of the special and distinctive landscape areas of our place and this video helps explains more. Working in this way allows us to address the increasingly complex and widespread environmental, social and political challenges that transcend traditional management boundaries.
Click on the links above to find out more.
The Vision for the natural environment in Gwent
As part of the collaborative development of the South East Area Statement, stakeholders and technical specialists considered a shared vision for the natural environment in Gwent, take a look below.
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What has been delivered so far?
Here is a summary of key actions undertaken and progress made by partners in 2020/21 which supports the shared vision for the natural environment in Gwent and supports the four pillars of wellbeing (social, cultural, environmental and economic).
We couldn't quite fit in all of the good work that has been and continues to be delivered across Gwent in this first edition, but we welcome recommendations to feature in future editions.
Greater Gwent State of Nature report
The Resilient Greater Gwent partnership have produced the Greater Gwent State of Nature report which looks at the breadth of wildlife in Gwent, recording the ecological successes and identifying those species most at risk.
The report is intended to inform the forthcoming regional and local Nature Recovery Action Plans and other conservation work. It is hoped that the information within the report will be used to direct further recording and monitoring, as well as future conservation and nature recovery action.
The report, funded by the Welsh Government’s Enabling of Natural Resources and Well-being Grant (ENRAW), has covered the five Local Authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. Click on the links above for more info.
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The Blaenau Gwent Climate Assembly was one of the first Climate Assemblies in Wales. In March 2021, it brought together 50 residents from Blaenau Gwent to address the question:
What should we do in Blaenau Gwent to tackle the climate crisis in a way that is fair and improves living standards for everyone?
The Assembly explored the overarching question through learning about and discussing themes including housing, nature and green space, and transport, and voted on the final recommendations – five were officially passed by the Assembly.
- The recommendations can be found here
- The Climate Assembly final report can be found here
The recommendations have been presented to Housing Associations and the Blaenau Gwent climate mitigation steering group. In July 2021 the (former) Blaenau Gwent PSB approved its initial response supporting these recommendations, which identified some of the work partners are already doing and committed to developing more detailed specific additional actions. Three workshops took place in November 2021, one for each of the three key themes, to bring together partners to focus on actions that can be taken now to deliver the recommendations.
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The Gwent Green Grid Partnership aims to improve and develop our green infrastructure, the network of natural and semi-natural features, green spaces, rivers and lakes that intersperse and connect villages, towns and cities. Green infrastructure has a crucial role to play in addressing nature, climate change and health emergencies. The partnership is an important part of helping to deliver the South East Wales Area Statement.
Here is the Gwent Green Grid partnership newsletter where you can meet the team and find out more about the 5 workstreams of the project outlined below.
- Regional Green Infrastructure (GI) Strategy and Partnership
- Gwent Green Corridors
- Gwent i-Tree Eco Study Pilot Areas
- Gwent Green Infrastructure (GI) Projects
- Pollinator Friendly Gwent
More information can also be found here and on Twitter here @GwentGreenGrid
Nature Recovery Action Plans
The Resilient Greater Gwent partnership is preparing the Nature Recovery Action Plan (NRAP) for Greater Gwent, which aims to help organisations work better together to promote nature recovery action at the regional scale. It will also act as a bridge between the NRAP for Wales of 2015 and the forthcoming Local NRAPs.
The Greater Gwent NRAP will draw upon findings of the Greater Gwent State of Nature report (see above), along with other evidence including the South East Area Statement and Wellbeing Assessments. Both the regional and local NRAPs will include a list of nature recovery actions.
Here are the weblinks of the 3 Local Nature Partnerships (LNP) in the South East area for more information on their work:
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The draft Gwent Well-being Assessment recently went out for consultation, and the assessment and responses will be used to create the Gwent Well-being Plan from 2023. The Gwent Public Services Board (PSB) is newly formed, and the assessment has been done on a regional basis for the first time.
The local area Well-being Assessments in each authority may also be of interest (scroll to end of webpage). You can also check the website for updates and next stages and follow Gwent Public Services Board on Twitter @gwentpsb.
The Living Levels
Take a look at the final edition of ‘Living the Levels’, the quarterly newsletter for the Living Levels Landscape Partnership. You can find all previous newsletters here.
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The Outdoor Partnership
The Outdoor Partnership project is now in Gwent, working to support people to take up outdoor activities as a life-long pursuit. On offer in Gwent includes Winter of Wellbeing: the opportunity for young people to get involved in outdoor sports and adventure, get an appreciation of the natural environment, and gain a work-related qualification.
Contact Brett Mahoney, Gwent Outdoor Activity Development Officer, to make a referral or for more details.
More information can be found here The Outdoor Partnership | Partneriaeth Awyr Agored.
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Carbon Literacy Training Monmouthshire and rural Newport
Here is a fantastic training opportunity to learn more about the climate crisis, the link between human activity and climate change, and to develop the knowledge to take action to reduce carbon emissions. Cynnal Cymru are running free training in January to March for residents, town or community councils, and those looking after a community building, in Monmouthshire and rural Newport (Llanwern, Marshfield, Graig, Langstone and Caerleon).
For more information on the course and how to book click here and on Twitter here.
One participant said, ‘‘I found Carbon Literacy Training extremely well delivered, very accessible, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions. It was wonderful to meet so many like-minded people and learn together. The training was thought-provoking and stimulating. It’s given me lots of good ideas for how to make a personal response to climate change and encouraged me to talk to others about ways we can make the necessary changes to our lives.’’
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Green and Safe spaces Newport
The Green and Safe spaces vision is that ‘Newport has healthy thriving ecosystems where all communities feel connected to nature and have easy access to safe, quality green and blue space for health, well-being, play and recreation’. This work is part of the current Wellbeing Plan for Newport.
To read more about all the brilliant partnership work going on to achieve this vision click here for the most recent newsletter, and click here for the latest update on progress.
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Wales Outdoor Learning Week
28 March to 3 April
Wales Outdoor Learning Week is organised by Natural Resources Wales and the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning. Join the celebration as an educator, parent or learner and get outdoors. A full calendar of events will be announced soon. How will you and your learners get involved? Forage for the first time? Plant some seeds? Or take your learners outside for a spot of natural mindfulness? The opportunities for learning in, about and for the natural environment are endless. Time to get planning for how you will celebrate our biggest and best classroom, the natural environment of Wales!
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