What is the Tir Canol landowner offer?
Tir Canol and its partners have expertise and project funding to support farmers and landowners to understand the wildlife on their land and to improve and expand the habitats they manage. Below is a more detailed outline of the support that is offered both directly by Tir Canol and by each of the partners and local organisations. Contacting us directly in the first instance will help you access the support that is available, so that you don’t have to contact lots of different organisations yourself.
Tir Canol support
Tir Canol can help you
- Carry out a Farm Habitat Assessment to establish what species and habitats currently exist across a land holding
- Advise and support in developing a Biodiversity Action Plan for land holdings and farms
- Help access additional opportunities and funding through partners and other local organisations
- Provide a connection to a network of landowners undertaking restoration activities in the area
The types of different support and opportunities that Tir Canol partners and other local organisations can offer is outlined below. You can contact these organisations directly or work with Tir Canol, who will help to coordinate activities with partners where relevant.
Click on each of the headings below to see the full list of options within each category.
WOODLAND CREATION AND TREE SUPPORT
- Site visits and advice on habitats, hedges, woodland management, woodland establishment, natural regeneration and tree planting
- Various Woodland Trust schemes provide free or subsidised trees including MOREwoods, Morehedges, Trees for your Farm (agroforestry) and subsidised tree packs (more info here)
- Free tree packs for schools and communities
- Free trees (up to 300 per holding per year depending on demand) from the Mid Wales Landscape Scheme
- Training and support for recording ancient trees on your land or in your community.
Contact Laura Shewring (LauraShewring@woodlandtrust.org.uk)
WIDER BIODIVERSITY AND CARBON SUPPORT (INCLUDING PEATLANDS)
The Pumlumon Project, set up by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust in 2007, has worked with local farmers to enhance nature on farms while generating value for farm businesses.
Over the last year, we have received new funding which has allowed us to work with Coed Cymru and a small number of farms to carry out carbon and biodiversity audits, and fund habitat improvements and carbon reduction, while contributing to farm businesses.
Opportunities to get involved: 2023 –2024
We are looking for farms to work with over the next year. You will get:
- A detailed picture of how your farm is doing in relation to carbon, woodland and habitat – and how this relates to Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) proposals and carbon requirements.
- Information about optimising woodland, habitat and carbon in a way that fits with production and your farm business.
- An opportunity to access funding (up to approx. £5,000 per farm).
We have a total of £50,000 in funding to distribute for work on farms that contributes to the farm business, habitat and carbon reduction. We will work with around 10 farms within or close to the Pumlumon Project area.
If you are interested, please contact:
Jake Elster-jones – j.elsterjones@yahoo.co.uk mobile: 07838 237 479
FARM SUPPORT FOR SOIL HEALTH, NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT AND AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SUBSIDY SCHEMES
FWAG Cymru (Farm and Wildlife Advisory Group) can offer advice and guidance on a range of areas including:
- Habitat and species management
- Soil testing, analysis and interpretation
- Nutrient management plans
- Agri-environment schemes – Habitat Scheme Wales (HSW) and the future Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS)
- HSW + SFS diaries
- Control of Agricultural Pollution requirements – guidance with completing of workbooks + production of risk maps
- SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) management and agreements
- Events and workshops
- Applications to part farm schemes (e.g. Small Grants – Environment and Small Grants Efficiency) and guidance with implementation
If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, please contact FWAG Cymru via: Email: fwag.cymru@fwagcymru.co.uk Phone: 01341 421456
RIVER RESTORATION, WATER QUALITY AND NATURAL FLOOD MANAGEMENT
The North Wales Rivers Trust is able to offer:
- We can complete nutrient reduction reports to aid reduction of nutrient loss to the watercourse for farmers.
- Farm advice – Herbal leys / soil health to aid reduction of nutrients into rivers.
- Natural Flood Management plans and interventions (such as leaky dams/ retention ponds etc)
- Riparian fencing and planting of trees and wetland scrapes/ planting (mainly in the buffer zone of river courses)
- Brash revetments to aid loss of sediment to the watercourse.
- Habitat surveys (in river and riparian areas), drone surveys, water quality testing, soil health tests
- Habitat creation on riparian land and in rivers themselves
- Re-meandering straightened river channels and removal of weirs to restore natural flow
- Footpaths/ wildlife areas/ styles/ gates / access for community
If you’re interested please contact Laura Sanderson – laura@northwalesriverstrust.org
Support, advice and training for nature-friendly farming
The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN; Rhwydwaith Ffermio er Lles Natur) is a UK farmer-led network working to mainstream nature-friendly farming as the most sustainable way of producing food. Membership is free and only takes a few minutes to sign up; NFFN can provide support in:
- Accessing support for farmers at every stage of their journey towards nature-friendly farming
- Sharing farm-level knowledge of whole-farm approaches that restore rural environments, regenerate ecosystems, protect biodiversity, act on climate change and offer greater resilience to natural or economic shocks
- NFFN are committed to shaping food and farming policies that ensure fairer returns for farmers, improved access to sustainable food and greater stewardship of the environment
- Farmer members receive regular newsletters with links to the latest updates on all aspects of nature-friendly farming
- Becoming a member means you stay up to date with opportunities to have your voice heard in our advocacy, as well as with invitations to events and farm demonstrations
You can sign up to becoming a member of NFFN here: https://www.nffn.org.uk/register
Not sure what sort of support you’re looking for? Or just want to find out more about the wildlife and habitats on your land? Get in touch with us and we’ll see if we can help! Email: info@tircanol.cymru or use the contact tab on our website.