A PENPARCAU nature project has been praised in the Welsh Assembly.

The Nature of Our Village project, set up by local ecologist Chloe Griffiths with funding from The Nineveh Charitable Trust, has received praise from Mid and West Wales regional AM Simon Thomas, who lives in Penparcau.

The project was set up to increase knowledge of Penparcau’s wildlife, and has helped discover rare moths, slugs, and even otters.

Of the 68 surveys carried out by 368 people in 2016, 648 wildlife records were created, which included choughs and ravens, 17 species of butterflies, and a feathered gothic moth not seen since 1937.

Last Wednesday afternoon, Mr Thomas stood in the chamber and praised the project.

He said: “Citizens’ science such as this project in Penparcau and the Capturing our Coast project can fill in important gaps and assist public bodies to respond to local needs.

“The project encouraged local people to gain the skills to recognise and record the wildlife on their doorstep, increasing the public understanding about wildlife and the threats it faces.”

Other finds included three new bumble bees, five other bee species, and a palmate newt.

The project used social media, particularly Facebook, to recruit volunteers and advertise surveys, and also to encourage the community to share their own wildlife discoveries.

Mr Thomas added: “My thanks and congratulations to Chloe Griffiths, who led the project, and Penparcau Community Forum, West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre, and Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales for their hard work.

“I look forward to the next report in 2018.”

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