A St Asaph nature site has received further support to help boost its biodiversity heading into the 2026’s spring and summer seasons.
Denbighshire County Council’s Climate team, Countryside Services and volunteers joined together to help plant 150 additional trees at the Glan Elwy Community Nature Space.
The site was created in 2024 as part of the Council’s Woodland Creation Project which received £800,000 from the UK Government through the 2023-25 UK Shared Prosperity Fund for this and other similar developments in the county.
Glan Elwy provides stronger habitat spaces for nature as well as improved access and facilities for residents young and old to enjoy. It provides an opportunity to observe and learn about local wildlife, especially from the purpose-built viewing platform located next to the public footpath.
St Asaph City football club youth teams and Elwy Care Group helped originally plant nearly 2,000 trees on the site alongside council officers and other volunteers.
The new trees planted in December supplement the 2024 stock, taking account of continuous monitoring and aftercare by Countryside Rangers through the year, and include replacements for some trees that unfortunately did not survive the long periods of exceptionally dry weather faced by the UK in Spring and Summer. The additional trees received funding from the UK Government through the 2025/26 UK Shared Prosperity Fund which has granted Denbighshire County Council £278,600 for nature recovery works across the county.
The winter maintenance work has allowed the opportunity to look at new planting areas on the site and introduce different species and varieties of trees to increase resilience against any future drought conditions.
Countryside Ranger Matt Winstanley who is managing the development of the site explained:
“Losing some trees at land the scale of this site isn’t unexpected, especially with the extreme dry conditions we have faced. Spring 2025 was an unprecedented season of warmth and sunshine and the driest in over 50 years, according to the Met Office.
“We are developing a slightly different area of the site to make use of the better ground. What we have planted are oaks, rowan, silver birch, downy birch and aspen. The gravelly conditions of this area next to the river should suit aspens and they are also more drought tolerant as well.”
Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity champion added:
“These sites take time to grow and develop and we are grateful to the continuing support from everyone setting foot on Glan Elwy that is nurturing a fantastic area for both the surrounding communities to visit and enjoy and for local nature to thrive in.”
