Conservation Issues Facing the Pembrey Burrows Local Nature Reserve

Published in the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 5, 2008

The Pembrey Burrows Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is simply stunning. Not only does it boast an unspoiled, 8 mile long beach, but also a complex dune system that provides an idyllic setting for a leisurely stroll. There is a blue flag zone complete with lifeguards which is popular during the summer, and a long stretch that is largely desolate, used recently by horse-riders, dog walkers and locals wanting to escape the throngs of tourists. Read more...

Pembrey Burrows LNR. Sarah Beynon, 2007 ©

Profile: Roger Mathias

Published in the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 5, 2008

Roger Mathias is a farmer that not only talks about the importance of conservation, but puts his words in to action on his farm at Furzy Mount in Camrose, which has recently been described as a ‘flora and fauna gem'. Read more...

Wild Bird Seed Crop, Furzy Mount. Sarah Beynon 2007 ©

The Red Kite Story

Published in the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 4, 2008

Once a common sight in towns and cities all over the UK, the Red Kite has been brought back from the verge of extinction by the world's longest running conservation programme. But what was the cause of the decline of this magnificent species, and what are the implications of bringing it back? Read more...

Red Kite, Milvus milvus. Derek Moore ©

Back to our roots: The importance of Native Breeds as conservation tools

Published in the West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre Newsletter, Bulletin 4, 2008

After the last war, the government issued farmers with a statement ordering them to produce more food from their land. This was the beginning of agricultural intensification and the subsequent decline of many species associated with the extensive farming practices of the past. Fast-growing continental breeds of livestock became popular, and we saw the decline of our native breeds, with many now placed on the Rare Breeds Register. However, with their loss, their role as conservation grazers in protecting important wildlife habitats was acknowledged. But just why are they so important to our wildlife? Read more...

Wales' Native Breed - The Welsh Black. Sarah Beynon 2005 ©

Varley Gradwell Travelling Fellowsip in Insect Ecology: Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) Research Project to Zambia, 2005

Published in the Oxford University Alumni Magazine 2005

Working alongside the Hope Entomological Collections, Oxford University Museum, and the Scarabaeinae Research Network (ScarabNet).

Dung beetle research is a current hot topic in the field of entomology. Dung beetles play a keystone role in the removal of dung, via relocation for feeding as well as for oviposition. Read more...

Conservation Expedition: Indonesia 2004

Unpublished

I don't quite know what first drew me to Indonesia: was it the picture-postcard sunsets or the childhood ambitions of trekking through miles of unspoilt rainforest?  However, as soon as I stepped off the plane in Jakarta, I knew that above all, I was in for one great big adventure. Read more...

Hoga Island, Indonesia 2004