North West Wales’ most popular visitor sites recorded fewer wildlife observations and greater environmental threats last summer, according to a new study.

The study looked at key visitor areas, comparing the lockdown period in June 2020 with the busy tourist season of June 2021.

The results will be used to consider how to manage tourism in a more sustainable way in future.

The original lockdown survey in June 2020 at key sites in North West Wales revealed some bird life and plant life responded positively to the reduced disturbance, and littering was greatly reduced. The opposite was found in 2021, along with more footpath erosion.

Naturalist Ben Porter was commissioned by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Snowdonia National Park Authority and the National Trust to undertake the surveys. He visited Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon, Cadair Idris, Carneddau and Cwm Idwal, and the lowland areas of Coed y Brenin, Ceunant Llennyrch and Newborough/Llanddwyn.

Ben said: “Whilst we know longer-term data is needed for more reliable comparisons to the exceptional period of 2020 lockdown, there are clear signs here about our impact on the natural world.”

Fewer bird species were recorded after lockdown compared with during lockdown - a total of 65 bird species across the upland sites in 2020, compared to 50 in 2021.

In 2020, many bird species, including Meadow pipits, Wheatears and even Ring Ouzels, were breeding close to the usually popular pathways, especially in upland areas. Unsurprisingly, this was not the case in 2021, with few birds nesting close to paths.

There were other factors at play, as there was stark contrast in the two seasons’ weather conditions, with a very cold spring in 2021 delaying breeding seasons for many bird species in the upland areas, leading to fewer fledgling birds recorded at the time of the survey in 2021.

Nevertheless, the role of increased disturbance from the return of high visitor numbers in some areas is a key factor in the differences between 2020 and 2021.

A disheartening and clear contrast between 2020 and 2021 was the amount of litter and waste recorded. In the uplands, 418 pieces of litter were recorded in 2021, compared to 93 items in 2020.

The issue of fly camping was observed during the study - a significant problem post-lockdown, with people camping unlawfully around popular sites, often leaving litter, waste, and toiletries.

Popular footpaths showed signs of widening and erosion as visitors returned.

Dafydd Roberts, senior ecologist for Snowdonia National Park Authority, said: “The report raises many questions about how we manage the interaction between people and nature in the future as we try to strike the right balance between enabling people to enjoy this area’s fantastic natural heritage without disturbing and degrading the environment we all enjoy.”

Molly Lovatt, senior planning and partnerships officer for Natural Resources Wales said: “The surveys underline the importance of the ‘tread lightly’ message as people visit our countryside and coast. We need to be sensitive to nature, to leave no trace of our visit so that wildlife can thrive for future generations to enjoy.”

Laura Hughes, visitor experience manager for the National Trust said: “It’s great so many of us are enjoying outdoor spaces, but we ask people to treat the countryside with care when you come.”

There are plans to repeat the survey in years to come.