The natural environment at Afon Cegin in Bangor has received a significant boost thanks to the diligent efforts of local volunteers.
Having secured funding from the Tidy Towns grant fund, Gwynedd Council has working closely with in partnership with volunteers from the environmental group BTCV Cymru on an initiative to clean and clear a significant amount of litter along a challenging stretch of the Afon Cegin river.
Mark Balaam, Gwynedd Council Senior Countryside Warden said: “The entire valley and banks of the Cegin have been transformed over the years thanks to the cooperation of a number of agencies but especially due to the efforts of community groups and local residents.
“This recent work has made a significant impact on the area and is once again an important step with our plan to restore this important habitat back to its spectacular condition where it will attract and maintain a wide variety of wildlife.”
As part of a joint scheme, Gwynedd Council staff and volunteers from BTCV have been clearing litter around the Afon Cegin area in Bangor. During the work, two skip-loads of litter was cleared from the area.
Guto Roberts from BTCV added: “Seeing how much litter there was in the river at the start of the project was heartbreaking, but thanks to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers we succeeded in getting rid of the vast majority of it. The time of volunteers is key to the success of such projects.
“It was a pleasure to be part of this project, and one of the main rewards was seeing wildlife such as ducks and trout returning to the river after the clean-up.”
The Tidy Towns grant has been made possible by the Welsh Assembly Government’s environmental improvement programme and Gwynedd Council is also working in partnership locally with Keep Wales Tidy.
Gwynedd Council Tidy Towns grants can be used to support environmental projects such as litter picking and eradicating intrusive weeds, creating pleasant public spaces, planting flowers, improving access and creating wildlife gardens, to name but a few.
For further information about Gwynedd Council’s Tidy Towns scheme, contact: [email protected] or call 01766 771000.
