About Us

The Vale Nature Partnership is part of an all-Wales network working to help nature in their areas.

Our vision is a Vale that is richer in wildlife, where people respect and enjoy the nature around them.

Our mission is to reconnect people from all across the county with nature. We aim to help all aspects of society to take part in practical action for nature.

The partnership has over 60 members including everyone from individuals through to businesses. A steering group of representatives from local organisations guides our work.

We all work together on the development and delivery of the Vale Nature Recovery Action Plan.

Nature in the Vale

The Vale’s mix of geology, coastal location, and land management creates a rich variety of habitats. This includes some very rare habitats, e.g. the calcareous grasslands at Old Castle Down and the saline lagoon at Aberthaw. There are also some rare species, including:

High Brown Fritillary Butterfly
Green Sandpiper
Corn Buttercup
True Service Tree
Fairy Shrimp
Shrill Carder Bee

There are some extensive habitats such as coastal grasslands, as well as small pockets of nature . The length of ancient / species-rich hedgerows and arable field margins are also of interest.

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Nature in the Vale

Dyer's Greenweed Vale Nature Partnership

Nature Protection in the Vale

The Vale is home to a network of nationally and internationally protected sites that are vital for wildlife and habitats:

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) - like the Severn Estuary SAC, protecting important estuary habitats and species.
Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
- including the Severn Estuary SPA, important for migratory and overwintering birds.
Ramsar sites - such as the Severn Estuary Ramsar site, recognised for its internationally important wetlands.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - nationally important sites for wildlife, plants and geology, of which we have 27 SSSIs in the Vale.

These protected sites are the ‘jewels’ of our natural landscape.

Beyond these, the Vale also has Local Nature Reserves, country parks, and other other valuable habitats that help wildlife thrive.

Conserving and enhancing these habitats is essential for the success of nature recovery across the county.

Special Protection Areas, Ramsar and Special Area of Conservation

The most important and special nature conservation sites in the Vale of Glamorgan include: The Severn Estuary, designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site which is of national and international importance for the breeding, feeding, wintering and migration of rare and vulnerable species of birds. The supporting habitats including intertidal mudflats and sandflats, saltmarsh, shingle and rocky shore are also protected within the SPA, as they support the protected bird species. Dunraven Bay was designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for its notable population of Shore Dock (Rumex rupestris) and was considered one of the best areas in the UK for this species. Shore Dock has been lost from here due to cliff erosion, but seeds have been collected and propagated for introduction to suitable habitat nearby on the Vale of Glamorgan cliffs.

Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (also called Local Wildlife Sites) are wildlife rich areas.

They are identified and selected for their local biodiversity. In the Vale there are currently 363 SINC’s such as Mynydd Ruthin, Pwll y Mer, Wenvoe Orchid Field, The Downs, Cadoxton River and Cross Common.There are specific policies in the Local Development Plan that protect SINC’s from development.

Other protected sites

In the Vale, we are lucky to have a number of reserves that are managed by wildlife organisations.

For example, the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales and the Woodland Trust both have reserves in the county. Wildlife Trust Reserves include Cwm Colhuw, Coed y Bwl, Coed Garnllwyd, Coed Llwyn Rhyddid and Lavernock Point. Woodland Trust Reserves include Worney Wood in Llysworney and Cwm George Woods in Dinas Powys.

Whilst there are many informal nature reserves in the Vale, only three of these have been formally designated as Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. These are Cliff Wood in Porthkerry Country Park (the first LNR in Wales), Cwm Talwg in Barry and Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Penarth.

Nature Recovery Action Plan

How can you help?