Free community day celebrates Pembrokeshire hedgerows
North Pembrokeshire hosts a free day of talks, crafts and foraging walks to highlight hedgerow heritage and biodiversity.
Free community day in North Pembrokeshire on Saturday, 24 October will showcase hedgerow heritage and biodiversity. The event is hosted by community benefit society Cwm Arian at Canolfan Llwynihirion Brynberian in Crymych.
It forms part of the Coedwigoedd Bro Preseli project, which aims to protect and celebrate the county’s ancient hedgerows. Local hedge‑laying expert Chris Roscoe will deliver a presentation on the traditional skill of hedge laying.
Roscoe will trace the history, purpose and cultural significance of the practice across the Pembrokeshire landscape. He will also explain the basic principles and techniques used to manage and lay hedgerows for maximum ecological benefit.
Attendees will learn how well‑maintained hedges support wildlife, provide habitats and protect soils from erosion. Creative collaborators Seren Stacey and Kelly Cracknell, authors of “Celf yn y Coed”, will run craft sessions throughout the day.
Families will be invited to produce small “hedge books” using prints, rubbings and drawings made from hedgerow tree inks, berries, acorns and alder cones. Stacey will teach the Welsh names of native plants, allowing participants to label their creations accurately.
The Canolfan garden will serve as a living classroom where children can try to spot the species they have just named. A locally sourced lunch of cawl will be served, showcasing Pembrokeshire’s culinary heritage.
Ecologist and storyteller Max Henderson, together with foraging guide Dan Moar of the Hydref collective, will lead a “Mythic forager” walk around Ty Canol woods. The walk will highlight edible wild foods, explain which plants to avoid, and weave local myths into the foraging experience.
Neil Harnott will speak on how communities and councils can collaborate to enhance biodiversity on road verges. The Brynberian biodiversity group will also present its work improving hedgerow management in the surrounding countryside.
While bookings are required for the foraging walk and hedge‑laying talk, the event remains open to walk‑ins. Visitors are encouraged to meet the team, explore the demonstrations and discover the role hedgerows play in the region’s natural and cultural fabric.
Cwm Arian operates across North Pembrokeshire, West Carmarthenshire and South Ceredigion, delivering projects in renewable energy, woodland stewardship and community wellbeing. The organisation describes itself as a community benefit society dedicated to sustainable development and local empowerment.
The free day forms part of a broader push to raise public awareness of hedgerow conservation ahead of the upcoming planting season. Organisers hope the event will inspire residents to volunteer in local hedge‑laying schemes and support council initiatives.
The programme reflects growing recognition of hedgerows as vital corridors for pollinators, birds and small mammals. Recent surveys suggest that well‑managed hedgerows can increase farmland biodiversity by up to 30 percent.
By combining craft, food, science and folklore, the day aims to appeal to a wide cross‑section of the community. Schools in the area have already expressed interest in arranging field trips to the event.
The venue, Canolfan Llwynihirion Brynberian, is a community centre that regularly hosts environmental workshops and cultural gatherings. Organisers stress that all activities will observe current public health guidance, ensuring a safe environment for participants.
The free community day offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with the living heritage that shapes Pembrokeshire’s countryside.