{"id":1977,"date":"2026-05-05T12:31:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:47:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:47:43","slug":"naturfa-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/?p=1977","title":{"rendered":"Naturfa status"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nggallery_import\/DSC_1255.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1978\" src=\"http:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nggallery_import\/DSC_1255.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Broad Haven Volunteers Secure \u2018National Asset\u2019 Status for Local Nature Reserve in Welsh First.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>BROAD HAVEN, PEMBROKESHIRE<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A small pocket of Pembrokeshire woodland and former open cast coal mine has officially become a national pioneer for biodiversity. The&nbsp;<strong>Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve<\/strong>&nbsp;has been named as one of the first sites in Wales to achieve \u2018<strong>Naturfa\u2019 status<\/strong>, making it the first community-managed site in the country to receive this prestigious recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The status, confirmed by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, recognizes the site as an \u201cOther Effective Area-based Conservation Measure\u201d (OECM). This means the volunteer-led efforts of the&nbsp;<strong>Support the Boardwalk<\/strong>&nbsp;group in Broad Haven are now officially counted toward Wales\u2019 ambitious 30\u00d730 goal: the global commitment to protect 30% of land, freshwater, and sea for nature by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a double-status win for the community, the reserve has also been integrated into the&nbsp;<strong>National Forest for Wales<\/strong>&nbsp;designation, recognizing its role in creating a resilient network of woodlands and ecosystems across the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building on its history as a cherished local walkway, the Slash Pond has evolved into a recognized biodiversity powerhouse. Today, it provides a vital sanctuary for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Critically endangered European eels<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Otters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10 distinct species of bats<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A rich array of birdlife (more than 50 species), moths and a healthy diversity of aquatic flora and fauna<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>\u201cThese special places are a testament to the care and dedication given by people working on the ground \u2013 securing a legacy for the next generation. Nature can only\u202fthrive where habitats are\u202fresilient, protected\u202fand effectively\u202fmanaged.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The new status is expected to open doors for significant future funding. The Naturfa recognition provides the scientific gold standard needed to pursue the funding required for the next phase of the site\u2019s management plan, including the long-term maintenance of the iconic boardwalk, biodiversity and water quality monitoring, new informational\/interpretative signage, and environmental education activities with Broad Haven Primary School and the Havens community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve always known how special the Slash Pond is, but this puts us on the map as a national asset,\u201d says Andy Drumm, STB volunteer. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just a win for the environment; it\u2019s a tribute to the years of hard work by our volunteers. It proves that local communities are leading the way in addressing the global nature crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The community will celebrate this landmark achievement with a&nbsp;<strong>Spring Family Fun Day on 9 May (1.00 \u2013 4.00pm)&nbsp;<\/strong>in the Slash Pond car park, featuring a nature treasure trail, music, guided nature walks, pond dipping for aquatic life,&nbsp;guest speakers, and much more.&nbsp; To mark this historic milestone, the entire community is invited to the&nbsp;<strong>Slash Pond Spring Celebration<\/strong>&nbsp;this May. The event is designed as a thank you to the residents and volunteers who have championed the reserve for years and a recognition of the Havens Community Council\u2019s commitment to nature recovery through its Biodiversity Enhancement Action Plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The day will transform the boardwalk into a festival of nature and community spirit, featuring:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Naturfa Treasure Trail:<\/strong>&nbsp;A family-friendly discovery route around the pond to spot the plants and animals that call the Splash Pond home.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Live local music<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Family Fun:<\/strong>&nbsp;Face painting and interactive nature crafts for the next generation of Eco-Champions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The big launch:<\/strong>&nbsp;The official unveiling of the Naturfa Certificate and the new Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve branding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Book Launch \u201cFrom Culm to Calm\u2019<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>A History of the Slash Pond<\/strong>\u2019\u2019 by local author David Meanwell.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis achievement belongs to every person in Broad Haven who has walked these boards, supported our fundraisers, or helped us clear a path,\u201d says Karen Riggs, long-time STB volunteer. \u201cWe aren\u2019t just celebrating a new title; we\u2019re celebrating the fact that our village is now leading the way for nature recovery in Wales. We want everyone to come down and feel proud of what we\u2019ve built together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event will also serve as a launchpad for the reserve\u2019s future, with the inauguration of two new benches for the observation decks and the launch of a new floating island which will serve as a refuge for wildfowl, herons and other birds as well as opportunities for residents to provide feedback on&nbsp; plans for the improved picnic area designed to withstand local flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Notes to editors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>About Naturfa:<\/strong>&nbsp;A Welsh Government programme recognizing areas outside of traditional \u201cProtected Areas\u201d (like SSSIs) that are managed long-term in ways that deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>About the Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve:<\/strong>&nbsp;Managed by the \u2018Support the Boardwalk\u2019 group in collaboration with The Havens Community Council, the site is a vital woodland and wetland habitat in Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire, maintained entirely by local volunteers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Media cont<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High-res images\/video footage:<\/strong>&nbsp;Available upon request (including images of the bat, bird and otter habitats, and the volunteer team).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Facebook page:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/supporttheboardwalk\"><strong>www.facebook.com\/supporttheboardwalk<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Web Page:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/\"><strong>www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Broad Haven Volunteers Secure \u2018National Asset\u2019 Status for Local Nature Reserve in Welsh First. BROAD HAVEN, PEMBROKESHIRE.\u00a0 A small pocket of Pembrokeshire woodland and former open cast coal mine has officially become a national pioneer for biodiversity. The&nbsp;Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve&nbsp;has been named as one of the first sites in Wales to achieve \u2018Naturfa\u2019 status, making it the first community-managed site in the country to receive this prestigious recognition. The status, confirmed by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, recognizes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":9,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-information-and-communication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1977"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1984,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions\/1984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.supporttheboardwalk.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}