The Llanelli Water Vole Action Group’s path project at Morfa Berwig, Llanelli has been completed and is now open for public use. The path has been installed to improve public access on to the site, which is allocated for development. Over the past year the site has been shown to be significant for a range of wildlife in additionto the important water vole population living in the ditches and reedbeds on site. This includes a woodlouse, Oritoniscus flavus, a real rarity with the Llanelli area being the only site whereit is found in the UK. This species may reflect the industrial past of Llanelli –it may well have arrived from Spain in the ballast of ships using the town’s port in previous centuries.

The group’s primary aim was improve the management of the site for water voles but also realised that the site was used by local people and that there was an opportunity to improve access. Grant funding was received from WAG and CwmEnvironmental and this enabled a path to be constructed through the site linking up existing access at the east and west ends. The path runs through the brownfieldhabitats and alongside the ditches meandering through the site, so a range of habitats can be seen.

It is hoped that local people and schools will make use of the site and links made with the Wildlife Trust and the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust that will helpwith the management and education potential on site, respectively.

The site is allocated for development but it is hoped that any future development will seek to integrate the habitats on site and realise the benefits they could bring –the ditches and reedbedsprovide perfect surface water drainage systems, especially important given the recent problems highlighted further along the coast.

The site’s brownfield habitat at this time year is rich with flowering plants, so vital for a range of insects that feed on them. On August 7th the Llanelli Naturalists have an evening visit to the site – come along and join the group in finding out more about the wildlife on site. Meet at the site entrance at the end of the Berwick Road, Bynea at 6:30 p.m.