A veteran orchard in Wales is getting a new lease of life thanks to a new project funded by the Welsh Government Landfill Tax.
Part of the main campus at Gower College in Swansea has a small veteran orchard with six apple trees needing extra attention. The trees remain from when the site was Hill House Hospital, which treated patients with infectious diseases for 84 years until it closed in 2013.
It used to be commonplace to find a traditional orchard in hospital grounds, as the fruit provided food for the patients. Orchards such as this are often threatened, as they are rarely protected by Tree Protection Orders (TPOs) and therefore are an easy target for removal during planning applications. But with the right care and recognition, their chances of survival improve significantly once the local community values what they offer for both people and wildlife.
In partnership with the land studies courses and other departments at the college, we will be carrying out three years of gentle pruning and care of the old trees, along with planting young fruit trees to extend the orchard. We will also plant a range of pollinator friendly plants, and create more features to increase biodiversity on campus. Veteran trees are fantastic for biodiversity, which is clearly evident in one of the old trees at Gower College (above), where knot holes provide valuable habitat to a range of species.
Planned habitat creation works so far include introducing edible hedgerows, bird and bug habitats and a pond. Both staff and students are looking forward to being involved in the project and annual community events will also bring the wider community onto the site to enjoy the orchard trees.
This project is funded by Welsh Government’s Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme, administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
Dod â hen berllan yn ôl yn fyw
Mae hen berllan yng Nghymru’n cael ail wynt diolch i brosiect newydd a ariennir gan Dreth Dirlenwi Llywodraeth Cymru.
Ar ran o brif gampws Coleg Gŵyr yn Abertawe mae hen berllan fechan ble mae chwe choeden afalau sydd angen mwy o ofal yn tyfu. Mae’r coed yno ers y cyfnod pan safai Ysbyty Hill House ar y safle, a arferai drin cleifion â chlefydau heintus am 84 mlynedd tan iddo gau yn 2013.
Arferai fod yn gyffredin gweld perllan draddodiadol ar dir ysbyty, am fod y ffrwythau’n bwydo’r cleifion. Mae perllannau fel hyn dan fygythiad yn aml, am nad ydynt fel arfer yn cael ei gwarchod gan Orchmynion Gwarchod Coed (TPOs) ac felly’n hawdd eu codi yn ystod y broses gynllunio. Ond gyda’r gofal a’r gydnabyddiaeth gywir, bydd eu gobaith o oroesi’n gwella’n sylweddol, ar ôl i’r gymuned leol werthfawrogi’r hyn y maen nhw’n ei gynnig i bobl a bywyd gwyllt.
Mewn partneriaeth â’r cyrsiau astudiaethau tir ac adrannau eraill yn y coleg, byddwn ni’n gwneud gwaith tocio ysgafn a gofalu am yr hen goed dros dair blynedd ynghyd â phlannu coed ffrwythau ifanc i ymestyn y berllan.
Byddwn ni hefyd yn plannu ystod o blanhigion sy’n hoff gan beillwyr, a chreu mwy o nodweddion i greu bioamrywiaeth ar y campws. Mae hen goed yn wych ar gyfer bioamrywiaeth, sy’n amlwg iawn ar un o’r hen goed yng Ngholeg Gŵyr (uchod) ble mae ceincdyllau’n rhoi cynefin gwerthfawr i ystod o rywogaethau.
Hyd yn hyn mae’r gwaith o greu cynefinoedd wedi cynnwys cyflwyno perthi bwytadwy, cynefinoedd i adar a phryfed, a phwll dŵr. Mae’r staff a’r myfyrwyr yn edrych ymlaen at gymryd rhan yn y prosiect a bydd digwyddiadau cymunedol blynyddol yn dod â’r gymuned ehangach i’r safle hefyd i fwynhau coed y berllan.
Ariennir y prosiect hwn gan Gynllun Cymunedau y Dreth Gwarediadau Tirlenwi Llywodraeth Cymru a weinyddir gan Gyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru (CGGC).