{"id":40473,"date":"2017-12-05T13:10:09","date_gmt":"2017-12-05T13:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=40473"},"modified":"2017-12-05T13:10:09","modified_gmt":"2017-12-05T13:10:09","slug":"coal-tips-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2017\/12\/05\/coal-tips-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Coal tips offer a haven for nature lovers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Cardiff initiative is fighting to preserve the region\u2019s coal tips, which have been making headlines for their wide array of unique wildlife\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For many, coal spoil heaps are a grim and silent reminder of an industry long past, but a Cardiff-based ecologist has discovered that nothing could be further from the truth.<\/p>\n

Liam Olds, 25, is the founder of the Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative<\/a>. Working alongside local authorities in Rhondda Cynon Taf for two years, Liam has sought to raise awareness of the unique habitats created by these man-made structures.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch of the low public opinion stems from people\u2019s inexperience with these sites,\u201d said Liam. \u201cHaving never stepped foot on a coal tip, you could easily be mistaken for thinking that coal tips are black eye-sores in the landscape that are devoid of life \u2013 a common misconception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past year, several finds from the coal tips have earnt widespread recognition. The discovery of two rare types of miner bee in spring 2017 raised eyebrows while the find of an entirely new species of millipede, affectionately titled the \u2018Maerdy Monster\u2019, obtained national attention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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However, as Mike Wilson, Head of Entomology at the National Museum notes, the tips are under increased threat from coal developers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the coal price stays high, then someone could come along and say \u2018we could re-work that tip, make some money and afterwards put some trees and green over it\u2019,\u201d Mike said. \u201cObviously, that would mean the loss of these places that have become very special.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tips aren\u2019t just for wildlife lovers either. Outdoor Cardiff has recently created two separate walking trails, at Fforest Fawr<\/a> and Pentyrch-Creigiau<\/a>, which take hikers past old collieries to appreciate the spectacular scenery on display. Given the relative lack of open access land, coal tips offer a similar appeal.<\/p>\n

Liam added: \u201cI would urge anyone interested in the outdoors, whether for wildlife or recreation, to visit a coal tip \u2013 you will not be disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explore the hike at Cwm Colliery tip below:<\/strong><\/p>\n