A small group of us had the pleasure of a visit to the Woodlands Skills Centre in Bodfari recently and what an amazing time we had.
We were met by Rod Waterfield, the founder and driving force behind the centre with a knowledge and enthusiasm that would be hard to match.
Over the course of a just few hours Rod tried to condense everything he and his team do at the centre, and it certainly made us dizzy wondering how on earth he kept all the plates spinning.
To me the name ‘Woodland Skills Centre’ does not portray exactly what is happening on the site. Rod’s intention is to provide a holistic view of the importance of woodland and how it can help shape us and our communities and provide us with the necessities for life both practically and as important emotionally.
Description
The Centre was established over thirty years ago and now comprises around 50 acres of land and is run as a ‘not for profit’ Social Enterprise. The aims are so written that the land can never be developed and must always be used for the purposes defined by the trust. This has given Rod the structure to set long term goals and the confidence to provide woodland, orchards, allotments as well as accommodation and industry that will benefit everyone for years to come. It really is a truly diverse environment, and all developments have been undertaken with woodland as the most important consideration.
Woodland Skills
Historically, the primary purpose of the centre was to develop the area with biodiversity in mind. Ideally to create a woodland containing every species you would expect to find here in the Wheeler Valley. A huge undertaking but with time and patience, trial and error, an achievable one.
In doing this the team developed skills that they realised could be shared with others and with so many of our heritage crafts now on the ‘Red List’ and threatened with being lost forever it gave added impetus to share them. Thus, a set of woodland workshop courses were developed. These courses are now in great demand and over sixty are run each year providing essential knowledge to hundreds of people.
The woodland itself though is now providing saplings and wildflower seeds all with local provenance for other organisations to plant across their nature reserves. One interesting fact here raised by Rod was that, now with the climate crisis and the inevitable changes it will bring, scientists are attempting to determine what our climate will be like in the future and are looking to source trees used to growing in that climate and planting them alongside our locals as a form of insurance policy. It makes you wonder what our insect and bird species will think of that.
The team realised though that the woodlands could be used for far more than that.
Community, Children and Families
People who understand and love the land and nature believe that they are only custodians rather than owners; realising that another generation will pick up the baton in the future to continue the process. Rod also believes that these woodlands are for sharing and can provide huge benefits to other members of the community too. This philosophy means that throughout the year many groups of people will be invited to share the centre in any way they can. It is not unusual to find groups of children, scouts, guides, school parties and many others coming to enjoy themselves and to be introduced to the wonder and beauty of the woodland.
The centre has also now developed several allotments and has built a polytunnel. Local people have been invited to operate and maintain them for their own benefit whether that be to put food on the table, to earn new skills or to develop friendships and community; ideally all three.
A further development is the establishment of a heritage orchard predominantly of pears and apples and with so many native species to choose from this can only grow from strength to strength. It is hope that within a few years we will all be able to visit, taste these ancient varieties and then buy some trees to help establish our own mini orchards.
There are also two large ponds and together with the woodlands the centre can boast that all expected species of reptile and amphibian are present, what an achievement.
The next venture is to use some of the land to house pigs and chickens with the hope that regular rotation from fallow to chickens to pigs back to fallow will maintain a good soils structure and provide some additional benefits along the way. Currently this is work in progress but if it develops like the rest of the centre, I am sure that success will be just around the corner.
Social Prescribing – Health and Wellbeing
There are also a series of Health and Wellbeing courses on offer to help both children and adults who may have difficulties with the pressures of today’s society and very often they find that immersion in a woodland, in nature, provides a grounding and safe place for confidences to be built and identities to be established.
This has proved to be very successful, and the centre has been credited as a regional centre for Autism amongst its many awards and accolades.
Conclusion
In conclusion I would say that it is hard to describe in sufficient detail exactly what a marvellous place this is. Rod is very happy to receive visitors, just give him a call, he is also always looking for volunteers to help with the many projects that are underway. Obviously if you would like to go on any of the courses then just check the website – https://woodlandskillscentre.uk/ you will not be disappointed.
I have no doubt that we will be back to visit Rod again. Make sure you prioritise this and get yourselves booked onto it as it was a real treat and well worth a visit.
Coetir â phwrpas: ymweld â’r Ganolfan Sgiliau Coetir
Cyflwyniad
Cafodd grŵp bach ohonom y pleser o ymweld â Chanolfan Sgiliau Coetiroedd ym Modfari yn ddiweddar ac am amser anhygoel a gawsom.
Cyfarfu Rod Waterfield, sylfaenydd a’r grym y tu ôl i’r ganolfan, â ni gyda gwybodaeth a brwdfrydedd na fyddai’n anodd eu cyfateb.
Dros gyfnod o ychydig oriau yn unig, ceisiodd Rod grynhoi popeth y mae ef a’i dîm yn ei wneud yn y ganolfan, ac yn sicr fe wnaeth i ni deimlo’n benysgafn yn meddwl tybed sut ar y ddaear y cadwodd yr holl bethau’n troelli.
I mi, nid yw’r enw ‘Canolfan Sgiliau Coetiroedd’ yn portreadu’n union beth sy’n digwydd ar y safle. Bwriad Rod yw rhoi golwg gyfannol ar bwysigrwydd coetiroedd a sut y gall ein helpu i’n llunio ni a’n cymunedau a rhoi’r hanfodion bywyd inni yn ymarferol ac mor bwysig yn emosiynol.
Disgrifiad
Sefydlwyd y Ganolfan dros ddeg ar hugain o flynyddoedd yn ôl ac mae bellach yn cynnwys tua 50 erw o dir ac yn cael ei rhedeg fel Menter Gymdeithasol ‘ddim er elw’. Mae’r nodau wedi’u hysgrifennu fel na ellir byth ddatblygu’r tir a rhaid ei ddefnyddio bob amser at y dibenion a ddiffinnir gan yr ymddiriedolaeth. Mae hyn wedi rhoi’r strwythur i Rod i osod nodau hirdymor a’r hyder i ddarparu coetir, perllannau, rhandiroedd yn ogystal â llety a diwydiant a fydd o fudd i bawb am flynyddoedd i ddod. Mae wir yn amgylchedd amrywiol iawn, ac mae pob datblygiad wedi’i wneud gyda choetir fel yr ystyriaeth bwysicaf.
Sgiliau Coetir
Yn hanesyddol, prif bwrpas y ganolfan oedd datblygu’r ardal gyda bioamrywiaeth mewn golwg. Yn ddelfrydol, creu coetir yn cynnwys pob rhywogaeth y byddech chi’n disgwyl dod o hyd iddi yma yng Nghwm Wheeler. Ymgymeriad enfawr ond gydag amser ac amynedd, treial a chamgymeriad, un y gellir ei gyflawni.
Wrth wneud hyn, datblygodd y tîm sgiliau y sylweddolasant y gellid eu rhannu ag eraill a chyda chymaint o’n crefftau treftadaeth bellach ar y ‘Rhestr Goch’ ac o dan fygythiad o gael eu colli am byth, rhoddodd hwb ychwanegol i’w rhannu. Felly, datblygwyd set o gyrsiau gweithdy coetir. Mae galw mawr am y cyrsiau hyn bellach ac mae dros drigain yn cael eu cynnal bob blwyddyn gan ddarparu gwybodaeth hanfodol i gannoedd o bobl.
Mae’r coetir ei hun, fodd bynnag, bellach yn darparu eginblanhigion a hadau blodau gwyllt i gyd â tharddiad lleol i sefydliadau eraill eu plannu ar draws eu gwarchodfeydd natur. Un ffaith ddiddorol a godwyd gan Rod yma oedd, nawr gyda’r argyfwng hinsawdd a’r newidiadau anochel y bydd yn eu dwyn, fod gwyddonwyr yn ceisio pennu sut fydd ein hinsawdd yn y dyfodol ac yn edrych i ddod o hyd i goed sydd wedi arfer tyfu yn yr hinsawdd honno a’u plannu ochr yn ochr â’n pobl leol fel math o bolisi yswiriant. Mae’n gwneud i chi feddwl beth fydd ein rhywogaethau pryfed ac adar yn ei feddwl am hynny.
Sylweddolodd y tîm serch hynny y gellid defnyddio’r coetiroedd ar gyfer llawer mwy na hynny.
Cymuned, Plant a Theuluoedd
Mae pobl sy’n deall ac yn caru’r tir a natur yn credu mai dim ond ceidwaid ydynt yn hytrach na pherchnogion; gan sylweddoli y bydd cenhedlaeth arall yn codi’r baton yn y dyfodol i barhau â’r broses. Mae Rod hefyd yn credu bod y coetiroedd hyn i’w rhannu a gallant ddarparu manteision enfawr i aelodau eraill o’r gymuned hefyd. Mae’r athroniaeth hon yn golygu y bydd llawer o grwpiau o bobl yn cael eu gwahodd i rannu’r ganolfan mewn unrhyw ffordd y gallant drwy gydol y flwyddyn. Nid yw’n anarferol dod o hyd i grwpiau o blant, sgowtiaid, tywyswyr, partïon ysgol a llawer o rai eraill yn dod i fwynhau eu hunain ac i gael eu cyflwyno i ryfeddod a harddwch y coetir.
Mae’r ganolfan hefyd bellach wedi datblygu sawl rhandir ac wedi adeiladu twnnel polythen. Mae pobl leol wedi cael eu gwahodd i’w gweithredu a’u cynnal er eu budd eu hunain, boed hynny i roi bwyd ar y bwrdd, i ennill sgiliau newydd neu i ddatblygu cyfeillgarwch a chymuned; yn ddelfrydol y tri.
Datblygiad pellach yw sefydlu perllan dreftadaeth sy’n bennaf o gellyg ac afalau a chyda chymaint o rywogaethau brodorol i ddewis ohonynt, dim ond tyfu o nerth i nerth all hyn ei wneud. Y gobaith yw y byddwn ni i gyd o fewn ychydig flynyddoedd yn gallu ymweld, blasu’r mathau hynafol hyn ac yna prynu rhai coed i helpu i sefydlu ein perllannau bach ein hunain.
Mae yna hefyd ddau bwll mawr ac ynghyd â’r coetiroedd gall y ganolfan ymffrostio bod pob rhywogaeth ddisgwyliedig o ymlusgiaid ac amffibiaid yn bresennol, am gamp.
Y fenter nesaf yw defnyddio rhywfaint o’r tir i gartrefu moch ac ieir gyda’r gobaith y bydd cylchdroi rheolaidd o fraenar i ieir i foch yn ôl i fraenar yn cynnal strwythur pridd da ac yn darparu rhai manteision ychwanegol ar hyd y ffordd. Ar hyn o bryd mae hwn yn waith sy’n mynd rhagddo ond os bydd yn datblygu fel gweddill y ganolfan, rwy’n siŵr y bydd llwyddiant ychydig o amgylch y gornel.
Rhagnodi Cymdeithasol – Iechyd a Llesiant
Mae cyfres o gyrsiau Iechyd a Llesiant hefyd ar gael i helpu plant ac oedolion a allai gael anawsterau gyda phwysau cymdeithas heddiw ac yn aml iawn maent yn canfod bod trochi mewn coetir, mewn natur, yn darparu sylfaen a lle diogel i feithrin hyder a sefydlu hunaniaethau.
Y Mae hyn wedi profi i fod yn llwyddiannus iawn, ac mae’r ganolfan wedi cael ei chydnabod fel canolfan ranbarthol ar gyfer Awtistiaeth ymhlith ei nifer o wobrau ac anrhydeddau.
Casgliad
I gloi, byddwn i’n dweud ei bod hi’n anodd disgrifio’n ddigon manwl pa mor wych yw’r lle hwn. Mae Rod yn hapus iawn i dderbyn ymwelwyr, ffoniwch ef, mae hefyd bob amser yn chwilio am wirfoddolwyr i helpu gyda’r nifer o brosiectau sydd ar y gweill. Yn amlwg, os hoffech chi fynd ar unrhyw un o’r cyrsiau, edrychwch ar y wefan – https://woodlandskillscentre.uk/ ni fyddwch chi’n cael eich siomi.
Does gen i ddim amheuaeth y byddwn ni’n ôl i ymweld â Rod eto. Gwnewch yn siŵr eich bod chi’n blaenoriaethu hyn ac yn archebu lle gan ei fod yn bleser go iawn ac yn werth ymweld ag ef.