The Penpont Project: Restoring Nature in Wales 🌳

Aim

We will deliver transformative nature restoration and provide a unique nature education programme co-designed by and for young people.

Action for Conservation is raising an ambitious £50,000 to support the largest intergenerational nature restoration project of its kind, the Penpont Project, situated in the heart of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park in Wales. 

Action for Conservation

Action for Conservation is a grassroots UK charity using innovative approaches to inspire and empower young people from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of environmental leaders. With 83% of young people wanting to do more for our planet but lacking opportunity and access, Action for Conservation is at the forefront of overcoming these barriers for current and future generations. Our goal is to rewrite the rules of conservation, putting young people at the heart of restoring the living world.

The Penpont Project

Our ground-breaking Penpont Project was launched in 2019 to tackle the lack of practical opportunities for young people to make meaningful changes in nature and land management. The Project is co-led by a Youth Leadership Group (YLG) of twenty 12–18 year olds from diverse backgrounds, working in partnership with farmers, landowners, conservationists, and local stakeholders, to restore habitats and ecosystems, and explore innovative farming and forestry approaches to provide a healthy support system for people, biodiversity and agriculture.

"[The Penpont Project] has helped us value nature as a whole and appreciate the nature around us. Holding this place in our hearts is really special."

 —Hana (19), Youth Leadership Group member

How will your support help the Penpont Project?

Establish the Penpont Land Library 

This summer, we are launching the UK’s first Land Library at the Penpont Project. Research shows a 26% decline in daily reading among children since 2005 highlighting the need for such initiatives. The Land Library will combine nature-focused literature with the beauty of the surrounding landscape, offering young people a sanctuary to explore and connect with the living world through the magic of books.

Situated in a renovated stable block at Penpont, it will be a welcoming space for learning, with a diverse array of books spanning fiction, nonfiction, art, and poetry.

Your support will help us:

• Host bespoke nature-based events for the Land Library, including educational visits from schools, youth groups and local community members. 
• Create site-wide reading trails that connect and inspire through nature.

Support us today and receive 25% off all books at Bloomsbury.com — for every donation, large or small, we will send you a discount code to use for a book of your choice, so grab a cuppa, sit under your nearest tree, and slow down with a good book.

Create an inspirational Forest Camp

Nestled within the ancient, wooded valley of Cwm Gwrthyd, our Forest Camp will provide an immersive haven for young people to learn about and connect with nature, surrounded by greenery, rippling streams and birdsong.

The space will be curated and co-designed by the Youth Leadership Group, and will include:

• A campsite and stargazing area where young people can sleep beneath the stars.
• An outdoor kitchen to cook locally foraged food.
• Bushcraft area for practising slow crafts like willow weaving, natural dyeing and wood whittling.
• Reading nooks connecting the Forest Camp with the Land Library.

The Penpont Forest Camp aims to provide a magical, eco-friendly setting for young people to thrive in the heart of nature. With young people in the UK living in one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, with little access and opportunity to explore nature, our Forest Camp will be a beacon of hope.

“During a time where many young people feel disengaged from the environment and life on the land, helping them to connect with nature and the local community is so important. It’s so inspiring to support young people to understand their part in nature and feel called to protect it no matter what path they decide to take in life.”  

—Molly, Penpont Learning and Engagement Manager

Restore nature and support regenerative farming

Released in 2023, the latest State of Nature report for Wales reveals the devastating scale of nature’s decline across the country. Through the Penpont Project, we are working to create a wilder and healthier landscape by restoring habitats and implementing nature-friendly farming practices that kickstart natural processes.

With your support, we are planning to:

• Plant 10,000 trees across the landscape this winter to provide habitats for wildlife, as well as shelter and food for livestock. This will include planting more in-field trees, connecting our hedgerows, and restoring long-lost orchards.
• Implement conservation grazing practices in our restoration site using cutting-edge GPS collar technology.
• Expand our tree nursery, enabling us to grow local varieties for future planting with our youth groups and community members.

The stunning Adfyw print by Robert Macdonald and Andy Pilsbury

This project successfully funded on 20th August 2024