South Wales Branch Events List

At the West Wales Museum of Childhood, on A484 just north of Llangeler. There are three sheltered neutral grassland meadows with plentiful shrub growth & woodland edge, which is managed for Brown Hairstreak butterflies with owner’s support. We’ll go ahead Friday, unless weather is very unsuitable. We recommend that you call Richard Smith on 0797 781 1404 Thursday evening or Friday, if not local. Otherwise, just turn up on Friday, any time after 5.30pm. We’ll start the caterpillar hunt around 7pm and then start setting up moth traps around 9pm. There will be access to a warm indoor room after 6pm. Families welcome, but small children will need to be supervised.

Kenfig National Nature Reserve
Jeff Curtis leads a team which has recently taken on the regular butterfly transect at Kenfig NNR. Jeff has offered to lead a butterfly walk at this well known butterfly hotspot site and to demonstrate how a butterfly transect works. Don’t be put off by latter, there’s no commitment! (but there may be roles for anyone whose time for volunteering is limited).

Contact: Richard Smith (01446 793229) or projects@southwales-butterflies.org.uk

Newport Wetlands National Nature Reserve
A morning of talks and live moths at the Newport Wetlands Reserve Visitor Centre. This year's theme for National Moth Night is Moths of Brownfield Sites of which Uskmouth is an excellent example. The indoor session will finish at noon and will be followed by a walk to search for day-flying moths.

Contact: Martin Anthoney, County Lepidoptera Recorder or Kevin Dupé, Reserve Manage.

There will be autumn & winter brown hairstreak egg surveys in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion & Pembrokeshire. These are mainly weekdays, chosen a few days in advance for weather, during period between mid October & early April. If you are interested please register in advance with Richard Smith (01446 793229 (or projects@southwales-butterflies.org.uk ). We will be focussing this autumn/winter on previously un-surveyed sites in localities with either gaps in records & surveys or expanding on three year’s community project around Llangeler–

• North of Whitland

• North of Carmarthen

• Dryslwyn to Pantglas

• Llanwrda to Llandovery

• Llanllwni to Llanybydder

• Llangeler area (Cenarth to Llanfihangel ar Arth)

We will also carry out egg counts at a dozen or so regularly monitored sites across Carmarthenshire, plus a couple in Ceredigion. We have volunteer workdays at several sites in Carmarthenshire, which will be a combination of egg searches and helping with coppicing of older blackthorn (see also winter weekends below).