Vote for a great cause: The Conservation Snowdonia Project
Outdoor headlines
04 March 2011 09:36
LFTOers will soon have the chance to pick their favourite conservation project from a selection of four worthy contenders. The winner will receive a cash award from the European Outdoor Conservation Association - a group of businesses in the European outdoor industry that have come together to raise funds for conservation and promote care and respect for wild places. Voting will open early next week at www.lfto.com/conservation, but in the meantime we’ll be introducing you to the organizations that want to win your vote. Here’s our third project from the Snowdonia Society...
Who are we?
The Snowdonia Society was established in 1967 in response to a growing number of serious threats to Snowdonia National Park. It is partly testament to the early efforts of members of the Society that Snowdonia is such a special place today. Our work continues to protect Eryri from over-development, but we have focussed our efforts equally on enhancing and celebrating the National Park. Our enhancement work brings in tens of thousands of pounds' worth of effort by volunteers – all helping to make Snowdonia a better place to live, work and visit.
What we propose to do
The Conservation Snowdonia Project is in its fourth year, and has exceeded expectations through bringing lasting, tangible benefits to the environment and communities of Snowdonia. We have extended the range of volunteers working in the National Park to include higher education colleges and the probation service. Support from the European Outdoor Conservation Association would enable us to:
- Improve understanding of Snowdonia's environment and countryside through providing more opportunities for local people and visitors to participate in practical conservation work.
- Minimise the spread of problematic non-native invasive plant species (Himalayan Balsam and Rhododendron ponticum) and work to eradicate them in named sites of strategic importance.
- Maintain and repair footpaths on some of Snowdonia's most heavily-trafficked routes, including on Snowdon itself.
Why LFTOers should vote for us
Certain parts of Snowdonia have been under heavy visitor pressure for years, and this pressure is only likely to increase given the increasing numbers of people in the UK and Europe who will be looking to holiday in exotic yet relatively inexpensive and accessible locations (Wales). With reductions to the budgets of both the Snowdonia National Park Authority and the Countryside Council for Wales, volunteers are needed to help ensure that the National Park remains in great condition as a home for native flora and fauna and as a top outdoor visitor destination.
www.snowdonia-society.org.uk