In December last year a group of 8 volunteers began monitoring the local red grouse population. This work is part of a larger effort to oversee the results of the Forgotten Landscapes Project’s  practices to manage the heather moorland habitat of the site.

The red grouse population - which is the most southern in the UK - has decreased enormously over the past decades.

The volunteers have been going out in pairs with a CD player, replaying the red grouse’s call in an attempt to trick them out of hiding. Once they break cover the surveyors are able to count and map the population. The surveyors are part of a bigger group, the World Heritage Site Volunteer Rangers, who carry out different kinds of conservation projects ranging from dry stone walling to stock fencing and planting of reed beds.

If you’re interested in getting involved or just want more information, contact volunteer co-ordinator Sarah (sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk|) or book onto the Living Landscapes Lecture on Tuesday, February 7^th .