Our Grazer of the Week this week is Pryderi the Welsh Mountain Sheep, who grazes some really interesting habitat, managed by the Woodland Trust at Coed Felenrhyd and Llennyrch.
This woodland in the Snowdonia National Park has a place in Welsh legend; it is mentioned in the Mabinogion as the last resting place of Pryderi, King of Dyfed.
The reserve is 765 acres featuring Atlantic oak woodland, known as the ‘Celtic rainforest’, fungi-rich grassland and ffridd habitat ( the fringe between historically fenced farmland and open uplands).
Tenant farmer Arwel Evans grazes his hefted flock of Welsh mountain sheep here to preserve the lower plant life: Atlantic mosses, liverworts and lichens plus waxcap fungi at Meirionnydd Oakwoods SAC and Ceunant LLennyrch NNR. Light grazing all year round here is part of the management plan to ensure the persistence of this special habitat.
As well as the herd of Welsh mountain sheep, some Welsh black cattle also graze the fields in summer.
Would you like to show off your grazing animals? You can enter your animals for the chance to feature as ‘Grazer of the Week’ by using #grazeroftheweek and tagging @pontcymru on Instagram and Facebook. Tell us a bit about you and your animals, we love to hear your stories.
By tagging PONT Cymru in your photos you agree that they can be used on our website and shared on social media at a later date with a credit.
Contact us if you have a site that needs conservation grazing.