Forest Farm : TheBirdGarden Blog

Forest Farm and the local nature reserve is a designated country park that covers an area of over 150 acres. The local nature reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest ( SSSI ) it includes a section of the former Glamorganshire Canal which is now an important aquatic wild life resource, and an ancient semi natural woodland, known as Longwood.

The Nature Reserve provides a diversity of different habitats including ponds, marsh area, scrub and more recent woodlands each with their own distinctive flora and fauna. The vegetation on the canal is luxuriant in the summer and in order to prevent silting large numbers of water plants have to be removed annually. A series of ponds and scrapes or winter wetlands have also been created in recent years which can be viewed from two bird hides.

The reserve is also excellent to see other wildlife. The reserve is well known for its foxes who sometimes make themselves appear by wandering around the open grasslands and past the two reserve hides. As well as the mammals the reserve also has its variety of insect life. The reserve has a variety of Damselflies and Dragonflies, you can also see butterflies such as the Speckled Wood, Comma and Painted Lady.

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In 2010 Forest Farm celebrated their 20 years anniversary and refurbished the Wardens Centre and education pond. Over the past 20 years Forest Farm have accomplished so much and wouldn’t been able to do any of this without continued support from the public, local companies and Cardiff Council.