We have an unusual Grazer of the Week this week! This is Gwenda the Gloucestershire Old Spot pig!
Gwenda and a friend graze an area of scrubby meadow at Pengelli Forest in Pembrokeshire. This is part of the largest block of ancient oak woodland in West Wales. The pigs have been conservation grazing on the nature reserve for the last five years. They work on a 1.6 acre area to prevent bracken, bramble, gorse and other scrubby species from spreading.
This area of the woods is important for its’ population of bluebells and bastard balm. The pigs help to prevent the scrub from becoming dominant here.
Pengelli Forest
For many centuries, Pengelli was a working woodland. The woodland was owned and described in detail in Elizabethan times by the noted Pembrokeshire historian George Owen. Pigs, sheep and cattle used to graze the undergrowth, whilst the local people harvested wood for various uses. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales now maintains the woodland for wildlife.
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.