FEI Skill Day Success

The Riverside Centre was the venue for a Forest Education Initiative Skill Sharing Day on Friday 16th of September. Dodging the particularly heavy showers, participants were able to take part in a number of workshops including making natural cordage from sisal or nettles, carving spoons and friction fire lighting with Dryad Bushcraft. Bird feeders and gypsy flowers were made using draw knives and shaving horses with Dragonfly Creations while a variety of willow items were made with "Out to Learn Willow" Cooking on fires and fire safety workshops were provided by the Forestry Commission while Groundwork led forages for wild food.

The day was funded by the Neath Port Talbot FEI group, Groundwork and the Riverside Centre using Big Lottery money.

 

More Benches at Riverside

Local walkers can rest their aching legs now at the Riverside Centre. Three recycled plastic benches (made by Birch Second Life Products Wales Ltd) have been installed at Glantawe Riverside Park courtesy of Neath Port Talbot CBC's Tourism Development Coordinator with funding from the Rural Development Plan. They compliment the new path linking the Swansea Canal with the Centre. Local dog walkers have been pleased as they now have a choice of shorter circuits they can take.

Spinners and Weavers Workshop 17th Sept

We've just had a great session at the Riverside Centre with the Tawe Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. 

The main hall has been filled with people learning crafts ancient and modern, with access to looms including inkle looms and table looms and spinning wheels giving hands on experience. 

 Lots of wools and yarns were available for people to experiment with and find out about natural and man-made dyes and fibres.

The Guild have been in existence for 30 years and are based in The Cross in Pontardawe. They have a wealth of experience and run regular workshops and classes. 

Seeing the hall filled with people being creative and being inspired has been wonderful. We hope to see the Guild back again in the future.

Butterflies - by Paul Steer. Exhibition at Riverside Centre

Tuesday 6th September saw the opening of the first exhibition at the Riverside Centre. 'Butterflies' by Paul Steer is a collection of life-sized paintings on plaster of native butterflies and their caterpillars. These small and exquisite paintings showcase the diversity of our butterflies and their colours and patterns.

Alongside the paintings is a short series of photographs by Eleanor Flaherty, showing the beauty of the plants that are considered weeds, but are essential to the caterpillars' and therefore to the survival of the butterflies.

Information on the butterflies and their habitat and what we can do to preserve it, has been provided by
Butterfly Conservation.

The exhibition runs from 6th to 17th September

Butterfly Surveying at Riverside

Local volunteers from Swansea Canal Society and Godre'Graig Community Association took part in a butterfly survey funded by Environment Wales, at Glantawe Riverside Park on Sunday. Local expert Martin Humphries guided them around a planned transect or route which will be used for all future surveys. At times the survey was hampered by wind which grounded the butterflies, but at other times the sun came out, the wind died down and the butterflies showed themselves!

Species which appeared on the day included Small tortoiseshells, Large whites, Common blues, Speckled woods, a Comma, a Brimstone and a Small Copper.

The volunteers were also rewarded with a dramatic chase by a sparrowhawk on a goldfinch. Fortunately for the goldfinch the sparrowhawk was spooked by our presence and it lived to tell the tale!

The volunteers will be taking their newly acquired knowledge back to their own projects.

The meadows at Glantawe Riverside Park have many grasses and wild flowers that both serve as breeding plants (eggs are laid in plants that the caterpillars can eat) and as a nectar source for butterflies. In the next few years it is planned to get the meadows managed to preserve / enhance their wildlife value. Left to their own devices they will turn into scrub with trees taking over.

If anyone is interested in taking part in future surveys for birds, butterflies or wild flowers please contact the Riverside Centre.