Join the Nature Partnership!
Becoming a member is the best way to access resources, information, events, volunteering opportunities, research projects, and citizen science initiatives. Get in touch if you’d like to get involved!
Volunteer
For opportunities within Caerphilly Council, click here. For other opportunities, join the Nature Partnership to stay up to date. Volunteering activities may include habitat management and restoration, species and habitat surveys, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, and helping to organise events.
Record
Submit your wildlife sightings to the South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre (SEWBReC). These records help us understand changes in wildlife populations and identify areas where conservation efforts are needed. You can also take part in citizen science surveys run by conservation organisations, which provide all the guidance you need to begin identifying and recording wildlife. Popular initiatives include The Big River Watch, Big Butterfly Count, Big Garden Birdwatch, and Flower-Insect Timed Counts.
Garden
You can create a wildlife haven in your own garden. Recommendations include planting wildflowers, installing bird boxes and feeders, creating hedgehog highways, adding a mini pond, composting, leaving dead wood and rock piles, installing bee hotels, avoiding artificial pesticides and fossil-fuel-derived fertilisers, and taking part in No Mow May. Find more tips here.
Invasive Species Management
Learn to recognise invasive species (e.g. Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed, American signal crayfish, American mink). Report sightings to Caerphilly Council’s Countryside & Landscape team or through the INNS Mapper. You can support biosecurity by cleaning gardening tools and boots after use to prevent spreading seeds or spores, and by washing boots after entering waterways to avoid transferring crayfish eggs. For more information click here. Keep up to date with ongoing initiatives run by wildlife organisations, such as the UK Squirrel Accord and INCC’s South Wales American Mink Partnership.
Training & Education
Everyone, from beginners to experienced naturalists, can benefit from training and continued learning. Organisations such as the Field Studies Council and the Bat Conservation Trust offer high-quality resources, courses, and seminars. Partners in the Nature Partnership also deliver workshops and presentations, and the annual Wales Biodiversity Partnership conference provides valuable learning and networking opportunities.
