Common spike-rush
Forming mats of straight, bright green stems, Common spike-rush does, indeed, look like lots of tightly clustered 'spikes' near the water's edge of our wetland habitats.
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Chwilio
Flowering rush
Flowering rush is a pretty rush-like plant of shallow wetland habitats, such as ponds, canals and ditches. Its cup-shaped, pink flowers appear in summer, brightening up the water's edge.
Parc Slip Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre Receives Prestigious Green Flag Award for 3rd Year!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VISITOR CENTRE AND CAFE ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED.
The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales’ (WTSWW) Parc Slip Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre, a haven for wildlife and…
Great reedmace
Great reedmace is familiar to many of us as the archetypal 'bulrush'. Look for its tall stems, sausage-like, brown flower heads and green, flat leaves at the water's edge in our…
Large red damselfly
If you have a garden pond, look out for the large red damselfly resting at the water's edge. As the name suggests, males are bright red with a black thorax, but females may be almost entirely…
Pen y Waun
The Pen y Waun nature reserve consists of two small fields situated on the edge of Waun-y-Mynach common. The fields were former garden plots for nearby cottages.
Volunteer on Skomer
Skomer is an amazing island - but it couldn't run without our volunteers! We have short-term and long-term opportunities available, please see below for details.
Unknown Wales 2023
In partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, we bring you the 13th Unknown Wales event! Please join us for talks from people across Wales studying, recording, and safeguarding our natural world.
Dog Walking on Reserves
We have a ‘Dogs permitted’ policy on our sites. If you are planning to take your dog to a nature reserve, please act responsibly during your visit and help us to keep our sites safe for wildlife.
Skomer Island
With nearly 350,000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters, over 40,000 Puffins, thousands of Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes and hundreds of Fulmars, Skomer is an internationally important seabird island.
It is located less than a mile off the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast making it a great place to visit for the day or stay overnight.
Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July. Please see our seasonal timeline below for what to see each month.
It is located less than a mile off the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast making it a great place to visit for the day or stay overnight.
Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July. Please see our seasonal timeline below for what to see each month.
Give a gift in your Will
Without people like you choosing to leave a gift in your Will to us, we would be unable to continue our vital conservation work. Please help us to ensure future generations can enjoy wildlife and wild places just as you have by leaving a gift in your Will.
Skomer Island Day Trips
2027 Skomer Island day trips go on sale at 00:01am on 1st December 2026.
Only a 20 minute boat trip from the mainland, Skomer is an excellent place for a daytime adventure. Bursting with seabirds including our Atlantic Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills, this National Nature Reserve is one of Britain's most important seabird colonies. It is peaceful and wild at all times of year - there's so much to see and explore.
Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July. Please see our seasonal timeline below for what to see each month.
Only a 20 minute boat trip from the mainland, Skomer is an excellent place for a daytime adventure. Bursting with seabirds including our Atlantic Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills, this National Nature Reserve is one of Britain's most important seabird colonies. It is peaceful and wild at all times of year - there's so much to see and explore.
Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July. Please see our seasonal timeline below for what to see each month.