Ynys Hywel Covid Memorial Woodland
On the 21st of March 2022 the First Minister for Wales announced the intention to create the third commemorative woodland in Wales at Ynys Hywel, created to remember all those who sadly lost their lives in the Covid-19 pandemic and the way society in Wales coped with the threat of Covid-19.
Caerphilly County Borough Council have been privileged to be working in partnership to support the Welsh Government’s Commemorative Woodlands Project, with the initial phase of the woodland now created and open to the public. Ynys Hywel, managed by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Green Space Strategy team is one of three memorial woodlands being created in Wales, which complements the other two woodlands, managed by National Trust in North Wales and Natural Resources Wales in West Wales.
Ynys Hywel Commemorative Woodland represents a symbol of Wales’ resilience during the pandemic and one of regeneration and renewal as the new woodlands grow. They will be places of commemoration where families and friends can remember lost loved ones and where the public will be able to reflect on the pandemic and the impact it has had on all our lives.
The commemorative woodland has been designed to be resilient to the threats of a changing climate, with a diverse mix of native trees, shrubs and bulb species planted. The woodland is comprised of other important habitats for wildlife such as species rich grass meadows, open watercourses, hedgerows and veteran trees. The commemorative woodland, as it establishes and matures, will be managed to provide wellbeing for visitors, in a tranquil natural environment, that’s rich in natural biodiversity.
The new woodland will also help to provide a diverse spectrum of benefits, from helping to combat climate change by locking up carbon, to providing valuable habitats for plants and wildlife, providing outdoor recreational spaces for people to enjoy, whilst also supporting rural livelihoods through their aftercare and active management.
Communities will have the opportunity to not only visit the site but also engage in future planting and ongoing management. As the new woodland matures they will be actively managed alongside the existing mature trees at Ynys Hywel, which will involve woodland management including hedge laying, coppicing, pruning, thinning and at times felling of diseased, dead or dangerous trees.
The Commemorative Woodland at Ynys Hywel forms an important part of the Welsh Government’s National Forest Programme. This is comprised of a network of publicly accessible woodlands across Wales, which includes both new and existing woodlands.