Cwm Community Care
Caring for Community
Keep Wales Tidy
In 2012 Thomas Board was the Keep Wales Tidy Project Officer for Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly, and this page has been created to show the excellent work that was carried out on the old colliery site and the Ebbw Fawr River, using the information and photo sets from his FLICKER account.
To find out more about Thomas Board's work, please click on each photo, to view all the photos in that particular set on the FLICKER webpage.
September 2012 - Tidy Wales Week Ebbw Fawr Clean Up. 128 volunteers from Coleg Gwent’s Health and Care and Public Service departments along with local volunteers spent 384 volunteer hours removing 78 bags of rubbish and 1.5 tonnes of loose waste from the Ebbw Fawr as it passes alongside the once heavily industrialised Marine Colliery site in Cwm, Ebbw Vale. Over the past 30 years since the site closed, this brown field site has become a popular recreational area for ramblers, bird watchers and dog walkers. Unfortunately evidence of its previous use can still be found in the amount of industrial debris that litters the river bed and banks.
While it is vital to acknowledge the historical and social importance of this site, the amount of discarded concrete, piping and other structural items present have diminished the appeal of the area.- (10 photos in the set)
December 2012 - Marine Colliery Coppice visit and trial.
The Marine Colliery Site was given in the care of our BG officer Thom Board to set up a coppice rotation, to build 5 otter holts and 12 gravel traps for spawning trout.
The top part of the planted woodland (late 80's) is pretty much level with a drainage ditch, which is perfect for all of our volunteers. Then there is a slope down to another post and wire fencing. This is manageable by most of the volunteers. It is an interesting site as it is difficult to gauge the lean of the trees properly due to the surrounding landscape, which is stunning. The great thing about this site is that we have permissions as certified chainsaw users, to be able to use our chainsaws to help the project. - (11 photos in the set)
December 2012 - Marine Colliery Otter Holt. A practical training project showing staff from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council's Environmental department, the Environment Agency and Groundwork Caerphilly, how to build an Otter Holt from coppiced wood.- (14 photos in the set)
January 2013 - Marine Colliery Coppicing. The Marine Colliery site in Cwm, Ebbw Vale closed in March 1989 and has since been extensively landscaped to include large areas of riparian woodland. The main species present include Alder, Willow, Hazel, Ash and Beech.
Keep Wales Tidy have been working in partnership with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council to manage the wooded areas that border the banks of the Ebbw Fawr.
January 7th - Volunteers from the Blaenau Gwent River Rangers, Pathways Environmental, Cardiff Rivers Group and the Environment Agency Wales clearing one of the Marine Colliery coppice compartments.
January 30th - Volunteers from the Rassau River Rangers, Cardiff Rivers Group, Pathways Environmental and The Gwent Wildlife Trust clearing the second coppice compartment. - (40 photos in the set)
July 2013 - Marine Colliery Himalayan Balsam Clearance.
Hardcore volunteers Sally and Martyn join Keep Wales Tidy on a scorching, midge infested attack on the invasive Himalayan Balsam on the footpaths and river banks of the Ebbw Fawr as it passes through the Marine Colliery site in Cwm, Ebbw Vale.- (15 photos in the set)
September 2013 - Ebbw Fawr River Clearance, Marine Colliery, Cwm, Ebbw Vale.
63 attendees including students from Coleg Gwent's Health and Care, Public Services and Independent Living Skills departments. Members of Cwm Community Care and Nick Smith MP for Bleanau Gwent.
66 bags of rubbish and assorted large items, fire extinguishers, bins and fencing posts and wire.
MP for Blaenau Gwent, Nick Smith commented, “It was great to see so many passionate youngsters doing their bit in our communities. In my short time helping out it was good to see the real difference it makes not only to our environment but young people’s lives. Having pride in your community is important for every generation to flourish, and Keep Wales Tidy are a big part of that.” - (45 photos in the set)
