We were very sad to hear recently of the sudden loss of David Davies of Aberystwyth, a Trust stalwart in so many areas of our conservation work.

David Davies by Em Foot

David was perhaps a relative newcomer to the Trust, first getting actively involved with us as a volunteer in 2005, a result of an appeal for help on our reserves as part of the HLF project in Ceredigion. However, he rapidly became involved in many different areas of our work, and soon took root as a key member of the Ceredigion team.

His involvement was built upon a lifetime’s interest in the natural environment. Anyone speaking to David soon became aware of his interest in wildlife and his love of fishing, and his huge knowledge of issues related to the management of our rivers and seas.

David became an active voluntary warden at Llyn Eiddwen, regularly contributing wildlife records and reserve monitoring data. He was also a regular on reserve workparties for many years, often bringing his professional skills as a civil engineer to the task in hand.

His knowledge and enthusiasm for design and construction assisted us with everything from building timber storage and protective cladding for tools in Trust vehicles, to novel designs for pond excavations, and the installation of reserves infrastructure like gates and fences.

David also served as a member of our North Ceredigion committee for a number of years and was a familiar face at talks and events in Aberystwyth, where he will be greatly missed by many.

David was a gentle, kind and loyal volunteer. For me, he was a great supporter during my years in Ceredigion, and thereafter to others still active in the county. During a trip to the Dyfi coast he once tried to teach me to dig for lugworm; I’m afraid I was an abject failure and the worms would insist on escaping me- but his patience was endless, and I learned a huge amount from him that day. He was truly in his element, surrounded by wild landscapes and the sea.

He will be greatly missed by all, and our thoughts and sympathy are with his family.

Lizzie Wilberforce
03 February 2015