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.

T & Jam in the Park - Mon 29th August

Over 200 people came to chill at the Riverside Park's T & Jam event, to get away from the Bank Holiday madness to listen to some good music and poetry. Music was provide by young local talent, Where Corals Lie and Rhod and Tom, Huw Pudner and Bob Thomas sang fine tales and we were all treated to the talent and voice of
Gruff Sion Rees.



Thanks to all who helped out, manned the car park and sold all those teas and cake! More music events are being organised so watch this space!

For more photos from the day, see our Gallery Page >>

New Hotels Built for Minibeasts!

On a blustery but sunny Sunday, minibeasts have been treated to some new customised hotels built by local families. Maggie Cornelius from RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) was on hand to help create mini hotels. Sections of carpet tubes were stuffed with twigs, grasses and leaves and decorated to create a colourful des res! These were then taken home and put in the garden. Within no time at all they will be inhabited by woodlice, spiders, beetles etc. As they are made of cardboard over time they will all rot down nicely into minibeast food.

Meanwhile a much bigger development was being created by Jean Francois Dulong from Groundwork Brigend and Neath Port Talbot. This was made of sections of pallets and larger sticks, cardboard tubes etc. A version created last year was teeming with creepy crawlies.

Fun was also had with new butterfly nets sweep nets and pots funded by Environment Wales. The variety of insects, spiders and other bugs was quite impressive. Despite the windy conditions that butterflies don't like, one young person caught a Brimstone, Peacock, Green Veined White, Small White, Common Blue, Meadow Brown and Tortoiseshell butterflies!

T & Jam in the Park - Mon 29th August

Come and chill out at the Riverside Park on Monday 29th August. Bring a picnic, your family and your friends your dog (on a lead please) for an afternoon of chill out sounds, music and poetry. Just the way to have a relaxing Bank Holiday Monday.

Musicians for the day include:
Where Corals Lie
Huw Pudner& Bob Thomas
Rhod and Tom
Gruff Sion Rees

and poet Phil Knight.

Hope to see you there!