A community partnership has received a national highlight for its continuing support for nature at a popular Rhuddlan site.
Rhuddlan Nature Reserve was honoured at the recent Wales in Bloom 2025 awards ceremony at Wrexham.
Denbighshire Countryside Services have worked side by side with the Rhuddlan Reserve Management Advisory Group since 2011 to co-manage the site to help nature flourish and provide a great place for community well-being.
Thanks to the vision of the group and the skills of the countryside rangers working on site, Rhuddlan Nature Reserve has grown and developed over the years with the introduction of initiatives including two wildflower meadows, three wildlife ponds, 300 metres of hedgerow, wildflower seeded verges, planting of 6,000 trees, a heritage species orchard, two picnic areas and a pond dipping platform.
The site has also seen a Dementia friendly space created on the site with sensory, trees, wildflowers and historic landscape features such as dry-stone walls and laid hedges complete with traditional Welsh oak timber seating.
Local wildlife is thriving on the reserve, iconic species such as otters and water voles have been spotted at the site which happen to be some of the more rapidly declining mammals in the UK.
Wales in Bloom awarded the partnership a Level 5 ‘Outstanding’ in the It’s Your Neighbourhood Category which is a scheme for volunteer-led community gardening groups which are focused on cleaning up and greening up their local area.
Anita Fagan, Chair of the Rhuddlan Reserve Management Advisory Group, said:
“I want to convey my heartfelt thanks to all committee members for their positive, proactive work for the reserve. I believe all committee members go ‘above and beyond’ their required commitment.
“I want to also praise Denbighshire Countryside Services and their team of rangers supported by fantastic volunteers for their total dedication to maintaining the reserve while juggling all their other nature reserve commitments in North Denbighshire.”
Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said:
“This is such a great collaboration that Countryside Services are a part of and it has produced a wealth of support for local nature and the community who come to enjoy this site on a regular basis.
“It is great to see this work by all recognised on a national level and I look forward to seeing this important community site continue to flourish and grow into the future.”
