Here in Caerphilly county borough the countryside is never more than 10 minutes away. And with three quarters of the county covered in woods, farmland, commons and green spaces there's plenty of wildlife to be discovered. Bluebell-carpeted woods alive with the sounds of songbirds, special places for rare butterflies and warm summertime hay meadows buzzing with bees are all out there waiting for you to explore.
Our special places for wildlife
Many of our green spaces are managed for the benefit of wildlife as well as for people but we have some sites that have been specially designated for their biodiversity value. These are our National Nature Reserve (NNR) at Aberbargoed Grasslands and our 4 Local Nature Reserves (LNR) at Cwmllydrew Meadows, Flatwood Meadows, Graig Goch, Memorial Park Meadows as well as Penallta Marsh. You can visit all our NNRs and LNRs in Caerphilly. We also have several Sites of Special Scientific Interest designated for their wildlife value.
Please follow the links to find out more about these sites where you can find a short guide as to why they are important. All the sites are protected by law and are managed by the Green Spaces section to promote their biodiversity. If you decide to visit please keep to the paths, don't drop litter and keep your dogs on a lead at all times. Please note that paths and facilities may not be as well-developed as our other green spaces. These are places for wildlife - not for a wild life!
Get involved
If you have a passion for wildlife and are particularly interested in your local biodiversity we need your help. Do you know where there's a particularly good wildflower meadow locally? We're currently looking for good examples for our Local Seed Bank project so if you know of one please let us know. Have you spotted any rare species in the county borough? We are always interested to hear of such sightings and our Most Wanted list contains species we are particularly concerned about.
Finally, you may be interested in joining the Caerphilly Biodiversity Partnership. The Partnership is an enthusiastic and committed group of professionals and volunteers working together to look after our local biodiversity. Together they have produced and review the Local Biodiversity Action Plan for Caerphilly county borough. You can join the partnership as an individual or as a representative from a group. No qualifications are necessary just a love of wildlife! There are quarterly evening meetings, events, surveys and training days (how to spot a water vole, for example). Want to help out more practically? You can also help us on our conservation days where we look after our special places for wildlife. You don’t have to be a member of the Partnership - just let us know you are coming so we can bring enough equipment and tools!
If you would like more information about our places for wildlife, the biodiversity of the county borough or report a rare sighting please contact our Biodiversity Team.
Contact Information
The Biodiversity Team, Bargoed House, 1 Gladys Way, Bargoed, CF81 8AB
Tel: 01443 866615
Email: countryside@caerphilly.go.uk
Facilities
Wildlife
Education Centre
Key Info
"Biodiversity is the variety of life, that’s all living things, from the brightly coloured ladybird to the ancient oak tree. It can be seen in every corner of Caerphilly county borough, in gardens and woodlands, rivers and roadsides, quarries and commons."
A National Nature Reserve
4 Local Nature Reserves
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