Cymdeithas Eryri Cylchgrawn Hydref / Snowdonia Society Autumn Magazine

Eryri | Snowdonia AM BYTH

FOREVER

Hydref • Autumn 2019

Pinc, tlws a niweidiol ● Pink, pretty and pernicious Darganfod y Carneddau ● Discovering the Carneddau O'r Amazon i Abergeirw ● From the Amazon to Abergeirw

Gweithio dros Eryri ● Working for Snowdonia

Sefydlwyd Cymdeithas Eryri yn 1967 a'i nod yw gwarchod a gwella harddwch a rhinweddau arbennig Eryri ac i hyrwyddo eu mwynhad er budd pawb sy'n byw, yn gweithio neu'n ymweld â'r ardal, yn awr ac yn y dyfodol. ~~~ The Snowdonia Society, established in 1967, works to protect and enhance the beauty and special qualities of Snowdonia and to promote their enjoyment in the interests of all who live in, work in or visit the area both now and in the future.

Y�� ! ● �� ! Ddim yn aelod?

Cefnogwch ein gwaith o warchod a gwella �rluniau a bioamrywiaeth arbennig Eryri trwy ymaelodi! Aelodaeth unigol: £24

www.cymdeithas-eryri.org.uk

Not a member? Why not help conserve Snowdonia’s magniﬁcent landscape and biodiversity by joining the Society! Individual membership costs £24

www.snowdonia-society.org.uk

Gwirfoddoli Volunteer

Cylchgronau Magazines

Swyddogion ac Ymddiriedolwyr: Officers and Trustees:

Gostyngiadau Discounts

-20%

Digwyddiadau Events

Staff:

Cyfarwyddwr/Director: John Harold Swyddog Aelodaeth a Chyfathrebu/ Communications & Membership Officer: Llywydd/President: Roger Thomas Is-lywyddion/Vice-presidents: His Honour Huw Debbie Pritchard Morgan Daniel, David Firth, Sir John Houghton Rheolwr Prosiect/Project Manager: MaryKate Jones CBE FRS, Sir Simon Jenkins FSA, CVO KStJ, Dr Swyddogion Cadwraeth/Conservation Officers: Morag McGrath Mary Williams & Daniel Goodwin Cadeirydd/Chair: David Archer Swyddog Ymgysylltu/Engagement Officer: Is-gadeirydd/Vice-chair: Charles Hawkins Claire Holmes Aelodau'r pwyllgor/Committee members: Cyfrifydd/Accountant: Judith Bellis Sue Beaumont, Dr Jacob Buis, Netti Collister, Bob Lowe, Jane Parry-Evans, Julian Pitt, Margaret Thomas, Peter Weston

Cymdeithas Eryri Snowdonia Society Caban, Yr Hen Ysgol, Brynrefail, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 3NR  01286 685498  info@snowdonia-society.org.uk Delwedd clawr/Cover image: www.cymdeithas-eryri.org.uk Afon Glaslyn © Nick Livesey www.snowdonia-society.org.uk Cyfieithu/Translation: Haf Meredydd Rhif elusen/Charity no: 1155401

Dyluniad/Design: Debbie Pritchard

Ymwadiad golygydddol Cynhyrchwyd y cylchgrawn gan dîm golygyddol yn cynnwys Jane Parry-Evans, Debbie Pritchard a John Harold. Rydym yn hynod ddiolchgar i'r holl awduron a ffotograffwyr sydd wedi cyfrannu at y rhifyn hwn. Cofiwch mai safbwyntiau personol yr awduron sy'n cael eu mynegi ganddynt, ac nid ydynt o reidrwydd yn adlewyrchu polisi Cymdeithas Eryri.

Editorial disclaimer The magazine is produced by an editorial panel of Jane Parry-Evans, Debbie Pritchard and John Harold. We are very grateful to all the authors and photographers who have contributed to this issue. The views expressed by the authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect Snowdonia Society policy.

Mae gwirfoddolwyr yn helpu ar llwybr troed Llyn Dinas ● Volunteers help on Llyn Dinas footpath

Defnydd lapio sy’n compostio gartref

Home compostable wrap

Sut i waredu defnydd lapio y gellir ei gompostio: 1. Gosodwch y defnydd ar eich tomen gompost 2. Rhowch y defnydd yn eich bin gwastraff gardd 3. Defnyddiwch y defnydd i leinio’r bin bach dal gwastraff bwyd

How to dispose of the compostable wrap: 1. Add to your home compost heap 2. Put in your garden waste bin 3. Use to line your food waste caddy

Cynnwys 4

Golygyddol

Rhybudd ffurfiol CCB

Cynnydd mewn ffioedd aelodaeth

Anrhydeddu cefnogwr brwd Cymdeithas Eryri

Pinc, tlws a niweidiol

O’r Amazon i Abergeirw

Darganfod y Carneddau

Yn gryno

Digwyddiadau

Adolygiad o'r flwyddyn 2018-19

Contents 4

Editorial

AGM formal notice

Membership fee increase

A Snowdonia Society stalwart honoured

11 Pink, pretty and pernicious 14 From the Amazon to Abergeirw 18 Discovering the Carneddau 22 Short cuts 25 Events 28 Review of the year 2018-19

Golygyddol

Editorial

John Harold Efallai wna’i wisgo fy esgidiau rhedeg a mynd allan i’r awyr agored i weld beth sy’n digwydd yn y byd, neu efallai wna’i fynd am dro efo fy ysbienddrych yn fy llaw. O’r pryfetyn neu flodyn lleiaf i fawredd y mynyddoedd neu rym y môr, mae’r byd naturiol yn wir gyfaill; yn ddibynadwy, yno bob amser ac eto’n llawn rhyfeddod. Mae’n braf gwybod ar beth a phwy y gallwch ddibynnu arnyn nhw. Mae gan bob un ohonom ei berthynas ei hun â byd natur. Boed yn weithredol neu’n ystyriol, yn byw yn eu canol neu’n ymweld â nhw, mae mannau arbennig yn darparu ein holl brofiadau ac mae’n rhaid eu gwarchod. Mae ambell i dirlun clasurol a llecyn cyfarwydd yn golygu llawer i ni, sef yr Eryri gudd yr ydym yn ei rhannu’n ofalus gyda’r sawl yr ydym yn ymddiried ynddyn nhw. Felly ar bwy allwn ni ddibynnu wrth edrych tuag at ddyfodol Eryri? O edrych o safbwynt y Gymdeithas, sy’n canolbwyntio ar warchodaeth Eryri yn y tymor hir, mae’r darlun yn hollol glir. Rydym yn dibynnu ar ein haelodau. Maen nhw’n rhoi eu hamser a’u harian i gefnogi gwaith y Gymdeithas, yn aml am ddegawdau ar eu hyd. Mae eraill yn dewis gadael cymynrodd hefyd. Wrth wneud hyn maen nhw’n ei gwneud yn bosibl i ni fwrw ymlaen â’n gwaith i’r dyfodol. Rydym yn dibynnu ar ein gwirfoddolwyr. Yn y flwyddyn ddiwethaf rhoddodd gwirfoddolwyr o bob math o gefndir dros 4,000 awr o’u hamser drwy gyfrwng ein rhaglen gadwraeth Dwylo Diwyd. Yn llythrennol, nhw sy’n cynrychioli’r berthynas rhwng pobl a’r lleoedd sy’n golygu cymaint iddyn nhw. Rydym yn dibynnu ar ein partneriaid. Mae cyrff a busnesau sydd o’r un anian yn cefnogi gwarchodaeth Eryri flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn drwy gydol tywydd cyfnewidiol. Drwy gyfrwng ein haelodau, gwirfoddolwyr a staff mae Cymdeithas Eryri’n rhan hanfodol o’r ffabrig hwnnw, edefyn byw fel lliw oren gwasgodau gwaith ein gwirfoddolwyr. Y tu hwnt i’r cylchoedd hynny, rhown ein ffydd yn ei le haeddiannol ac yn ôl y dystiolaeth a welwn. Mewn adegau ansicr, gallwch ymddiried yn y ffaith y byddwn yn gwneud ein gorau glas dros Eryri. John Harold yw'r Cyfarwyddwr, Cymdeithas Eryri

4 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

I might put on my running shoes and head outside to see what’s going on in the world or I might pick up my trusty binoculars and go for a walk. From the smallest insect or flower to the grandeur of the mountains or the power of the sea, the natural world is a true friend; reliable, always there and yet full of surprises. It’s good to know who and what you can rely on. We all have our own relationship with nature. Whether active or contemplative, whether we are immersed in them or visitors to them, special places provide the raw materials of experience and must be protected. There are classic landscapes and there are intimate places we think of as our own, the secret Snowdonia which we share carefully with those we trust. So who can we rely on when we look to Snowdonia’s future? Viewed through the Society’s lens, focused on the long-term protection of Snowdonia, the picture is crystal clear. We rely on our members. Members give time and money and support for the Society’s work, often for decades on end. Some also choose to leave a legacy. In doing so they make it possible to carry our work forwards into the future. We rely on our volunteers. In the last year volunteers from all backgrounds gave over 4,000 hours of their time through our Helping Hands conservation programme. They embody, quite literally, the relationship between people and the places they care about. We rely on our partners. Like-minded organisations and businesses are the hard-wearing fabric that protects Snowdonia year on year through changing weather. Through our members, volunteers and staff the Snowdonia Society is woven right through that fabric, a vibrant thread like the orange of our volunteers’ work tabards. Beyond those circles, we will place our trust where it is due and according to the evidence we see. In uncertain times, you can trust that your Society will be keeping an eye out for Snowdonia. John Harold is the Director of the Snowdonia Society

Cyfarfod Blynddol Cyffredinol Dydd Sadwrn 19 Hydref 2019. Plas-y-Brenin, Capel Curig LL24 0ET Lleoliad: Prif Ystafell Ddarlithio, Plas y Brenin, Capel Curig

Annwyl Aelod,

Estynnir gwahoddiad cynnes i chi i Gyfarfod Blynyddol Cyffredinol 2019 yng Nghanolfan Awyr Agored Genedlaethol Plas y Brenin. Dewch draw i glywed mwy am waith eich Cymdeithas dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf a rhannu eich teimladau gyda staff ac ymddiriedolwyr wrth i ni edrych tua’r dyfodol. Mae’r rhaglen yn cynnwys siaradwr gwadd cyfarwydd – Mike Alexander. Yn unigolyn adnabyddus ym maes cadwraeth, yn Aelod o’r Gymdeithas Fioleg ac yn ffotograffydd rhagorol o dirluniau a byd natur, bydd sgwrs Mike yn archwilio iaith gyfnewidiol cadwraeth ac effaith hyn ar fyd natur ac arnon ni. Bydd cyfle i brofi cinio bwffe enwog Plas y Brenin yn ogystal â thaith brynhawn yn y lleoliad hyfryd gyda’r arweinydd mynydd Rob Collister MBE. Bydd cofnodion CBC y llynedd ynghyd ag Adroddiad Blynyddol a Chyfrifon eleni ar gael yn y cyfarfod, o’r swyddfa ar gais ac ar-lein ar www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/cy/cenhedaeth. Cofiwch ymuno â ni ar y diwrnod arbennig hwn – edrychwn ymlaen at eich gweld.

Cyfarwyddwr, Cymdeithas Eryri

10:00 - Cofrestru 11:00 - Busnes Ffurfiol y CBC 1. Ymddiheuriadau 2. (i) Cofnodion Cyfarfod Blynyddol Cyffredinol 2018 (ii) Materion yn codi o’r cofnodion yma 3. Adroddiad y Cadeirydd - David Archer 4. Adroddiad Project Cadwraeth - Mary-Kate Jones 5. Adroddiad y Cyfarwyddwr - John Harold 6. Adroddiad Ariannol - Judith Bellis 7. Cwestiynau i’r Cyfarwyddwr a’r Swyddogion 8. Mabwysiadu Adroddiadau a Chyfrifon (i) Cynnig i fabwysiadu’r Adroddiad Blynyddol a’r Cyfrifon am y flwyddyn yn diweddu 30 Mehefin 2019 (ii) Cynnig i ailbenodi Bennet Brooks fel archwilwyr annibynnol cyfrifon y Gymdeithas ar gyfer 2019/20 9. Penodi Swyddogion ac Aelodau o’r Pwyllgor Gwaith: Llywydd: Roger Thomas Is-lywyddion: Ei Fawrhydi Huw Morgan Daniel CVO,KStJ, David Firth, Syr John Houghton, Syr Simon Jenkins, Dr Morag McGrath Cadeirydd: Julian Pitt Ymddiriedolwyr: David Archer, Sue Beaumont, Netti Collister, Charles Hawkins 10. Unrhyw Fusnes Arall a dyddiad CBC 2020 12:00 - Sesiwn Holi’r Ymddiriedolwyr 12:30 - Cinio 13:30 - Siaradwr Gwadd: Mike Alexander 14:30 - Taith Glan yr Afon gyda Rob Collister (2.5 milltir) 17:00 - Diwedd y Daith

Ffurflen Cofrestru - Cwblhewch a dychwelwch erbyn 10 Hydref 2019 os gwelwch yn dda i:

Claire Holmes, Cymdeithas Eryri Snowdonia Society, Caban, Yr Hen Ysgol, Brynrefail, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 3NR neu cofrestrwch a thalwch ar-lein ar: www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/cy/ccb2019 Enw(au) ........................................................................................................................................................... Rhif aelodaeth ................ Hoffwn I/Ni archebu ....… lle ar gyfer y: □ CCB □ Sgwrs □ Taith (2.5 milltir / lefel isel)

Sawl cinio sydd eu hangen (£10.00 y pen): ............... Gofynion dietegol: ........................................ (Amgaewch siec yn daladwy i Gymdeithas Eryri os gwelwch yn dda) Ymddiheuriadau: □ Dydw i/Dydyn ni ddim yn gallu mynychu CCB Cymdeithas Eryri 2019 Rydw i’n anfon cyfraniad o £ ............... tuag at waith y Gymdeithas.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 5

Annual General Meeting Saturday 19 October 2019. Plas-y-Brenin, Capel Curig LL24 0ET

Dear Member,

You are warmly invited to the 2019 Annual General Meeting on Saturday 19 October at Plas y Brenin National Outdoor Centre. Come along to hear about your Society’s work over the past year and share your thoughts with staff and trustees as we look ahead. The programme includes a highly regarded guest speaker Mike Alexander. A leading figure in conservation, Fellow of the Society of Biology and outstanding photographer of landscapes and nature, Mike’s talk will examine the changing language of conservation and its impact on the natural world and on us. There will be an opportunity to sample the famous Plas y Brenin lunch buffet as well as an afternoon walk in the magnificent surrounds with mountain guide Rob Collister MBE. Minutes of last year’s AGM along with this year’s Annual Report and Accounts will be available at the meeting, from the office on request and online at www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/mission. Please do join us on this important day - we look forward to seeing you.

Director, Snowdonia Society

Venue: Main Lecture Room, Plas-y-Brenin, Capel Curig

10:00 - Registration Opens 11:00 - AGM Formal Business 1. Apologies 2. (i) Minutes of the 2018 Annual General Meeting (ii) Matters arising from these minutes 3. Chair’s Report - David Archer 4. Conservation Project Report - Mary-Kate Jones 5. Director’s Report - John Harold 6. Financial Report - Judith Bellis 7. Questions to the Director and Officers 8. Adoption of Reports & Accounts (i) Motion to adopt the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 30th June 2019 (ii) Motion to reappoint Bennet Brooks as independent examiners of the Society’s Accounts for 2019/20 9. Election of Officers and Members of the Executive Committee: President: Roger Thomas Vice presidents: His Honour Huw Morgan Daniel CVO, KStJ, David Firth, Sir John Houghton, Sir Simon Jenkins, Dr Morag McGrath Chair: Julian Pitt Trustees: David Archer, Sue Beaumont, Netti Collister, Charles Hawkins 10. Any Other Business and Date of 2020 AGM 12:00 - Trustee Question Time 12:30 - Lunch 13:30 - Guest Speaker: Mike Alexander 14:30 - Riverside Walk with Rob Collister (2.5miles) 17:00 - Walk Ends

Registration Form - Please complete and return by 10th October 2019 to:

Claire Holmes, Cymdeithas Eryri Snowdonia Society, Caban, Yr Hen Ysgol, Brynrefail, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 3NR or register and pay online at www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/agm2019 Name(s) ..................................................................................................................................................... Membership No. ............. I/We would like to book ....… places for the: □ AGM □ Talk □ Walk (2.5 miles/low level)

Total number of lunches required (£10.00 per head): ............... (Please enclose a cheque payable to Snowdonia Society)

Dietary requirements: ..................

Apologies: □ I/We are unable to attend the Snowdonia Society's 2019 AGM. Please accept a donation of £ ............... towards the Society's work.

6 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

Membership fee Cynnydd mewn ffioedd aelodaeth increase Mae eich aelodaeth yn cefnogi’n uniongyrchol ein gwaith o warchod a chynnal Eryri.

Your membership directly supports our work of protecting and looking after Snowdonia.

Yn y flwyddyn ddiwethaf mae ein gwirfoddolwyr wedi:

In the past year our volunteers have:

• cynnal a gwella dros 53 cilometr o lwybrau • clirio cannoedd o gilogramau o sbwriel • plannu gwrychoedd newydd • gweithio gyda chymunedau lleol i fynd i’r afael â hectarau o rywogaethau ymledol • helpu llawer o gyrff sy’n bartneriaid i gyflawni gorchwylion cadwraethol

• maintained and improved over 53 kilometres of footpaths • cleared hundreds of kilogrammes of rubbish • planted new hedgerows • worked with local communities to tackle hectares of invasive species • helped many partner organisations to get conservation tasks done

Yn y cyfamser rydym wedi cyfrannu at bartneriaethau ledled Eryri, yn cynnwys helpu i sicrhau nawdd sylweddol gan Gronfa Fawr y Loteri ar gyfer project Partneriaeth y Carneddau.

Meanwhile we have contributed to partnerships across Snowdonia, including helping secure substantial HLF funding for the Carneddau Landscape Partnership project.

Rydym wedi ymgyrchu yn erbyn cynnig am uned ddofednod ar raddfa ddiwydiannol yn ne’r Parc Cenedlaethol; lluniodd ein Cyfarwyddwr achos gref yn gwrthwynebu’r cais gan y byddai’n tanseilio treftadaeth (dwysedd isel) ffermio yn Eryri. Byddwn yn parhau â’r gwaith pwysig hwn.

We’ve campaigned hard against a proposal for an industrialscale intensive poultry unit in the south of the National Park; our Director made the case strongly that this would undermine the traditional (low-intensity) farming heritage of Snowdonia. We will continue this important work.

Ar gyfer y dyfodol, gobeithiwn gwblhau mwy. I sicrhau hyn, mae angen eich cymorth arnom.

For the future, we want to accomplish more. To do so we need your help.

Cynyddwyd tanysgrifiadau am y tro diwethaf bum mlynedd yn ôl. Er mwyn parhau â’n gwaith a’i ehangu, bydd angen i ni gynyddu tanysgrifiadau aelodaeth o fis Ebrill 2020 ymlaen, i:

Subscriptions were last increased five years ago. In order to continue and expand our work, we need to increase membership subscriptions, which from April 2020 will be:

• Unigolyn: • Ar y cyd/Teulu: • Cysylltiedig/Clwb: • Busnes:

• • • •

£30 y flwyddyn (neu £2.50 y mis) £42 y flwyddyn (neu £3.50 y mis) £42 y flwyddyn £70 y flwyddyn

Individual: Joint/Family: Affiliate/Club: Business:

£30 per year (or £2.50 per month) £42 per year (or £3.50 per month) £42 per year £70 per year

Gobeithio y byddwch yn cytuno bod ychydig o bunnoedd y mis i helpu i warchod harddwch ac amrywiaeth tirlun a bywyd gwyllt Eryri yn gyfraniad gwerth chweil.

We hope you will agree that a few pounds per month to help protect the beauty and diversity of Snowdonia’s landscape and wildlife is money truly well spent.

Cofiwch, hefyd, y byddwch fel aelod yn parhau i dderbyn y buddion canlynol:

Remember, too, that as a member you will continue to receive the following benefits:

• gostyngiad o 20% yn Cotswold Outdoors a’u partneriaid • gostyngiad o 20% yn y Pot Mêl, ystafell de Tŷ Hyll • gostyngiadau o 10-15% gan lawer o Aelodau Busnes hael eraill • mynediad i ddigwyddiadau ar gyfer aelodau’n unig ledled y flwyddyn

• 20% discount at Cotswold Outdoors and their partners • 20% discount at Pot Mêl, Tea Room at Tŷ Hyll • 10-15% discounts from many other generous Business Members • Access to member only events throughout the year

Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau am y cynnydd mae croeso i chi gysylltu efo ni ar y ffôn ar 01286 685498 neu e-bostiwch: info@snowdonia-society.org.uk Fel bob amser, diolch i chi am eich cefnogaeth a’ch ymrwymiad barhaol i Eryri.

If you have any questions about the increase please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via phone: 01286 685498 or email: info@snowdonia-society.org.uk As always, we thank you for your continued support and dedication to Snowdonia.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 7

Golwg ar ymddiriedolwr Trustee spotlight Sue Beaumont Mae Eryri yn lle mor arbennig. Rydw i’n eithriadol o ffodus i gael byw yma ar ôl treulio llawer o’m mywyd yn gweithio i’r Cyngor Prydeinig dramor yn datblygu cyfleoedd addysgiadol a phartneriaethau mewn gwyddoniaeth, y celfyddydau, llywodraethu a chymdeithas sifil.

Snowdonia is such a special place. I am extraordinarily lucky to live here after spending much of my life abroad working for the British Council developing educational opportunities and partnerships in science, the arts, governance and civil society.

Fel cerddwr a beiciwr brwd rydw i wrth fy modd efo amrywiaeth tirluniau a chynefinoedd Eryri. Rydw i wedi beicio ar hyd a lled Cymru ac wedi cerdded rhai o’r llwybrau hir sy’n eich tywys i fannau gwyllt a hudolus a golygfeydd rhyfeddol – er gwaethaf y glaw a’r niwl.

As a keen walker and cyclist I love the diversity of Snowdonia’s landscape and habitats. I’ve cycled the length and breadth of Wales and walked some of the long-distance paths that take you to wild and magical places and incredible views – rain and mist excepting.

Mae’n fraint dod yn ymddiriedolwr ar adeg pan mae pobl yn pryderu mwy nag erioed o’r blaen am newid hinsawdd ac effeithiau eraill ar y byd. Yn y misoedd diwethaf rydw i wedi dysgu sut mae Cymdeithas Eryri yn gweithio drwy eiriol, partneriaeth a gweithredu ymarferol i helpu i warchod a gwella Eryri, gan wneud yn fawr o angerdd, gwybodaeth ac arbenigedd ei haelodau, staff, gwirfoddolwyr a chefnogwyr.

It is a privilege to become a trustee at a time when people care more than ever about climate change and other impacts on the world. In recent months I have learned about how the Snowdonia Society works through advocacy, partnership and practical action to help conserve and enhance Snowdonia, drawing on the passion, knowledge and expertise of its members, staff, volunteers and supporters.

Rydw i wedi mwynhau gwirfoddoli gyda’r Gymdeithas ac mae gen i ddiddordeb arbennig mewn gwybod sut allwn ni ddatblygu ein cyfleoedd ar gyfer hyfforddiant ac achrediad.

I’ve enjoyed volunteering with the Society and am especially interested in how we can develop our training and accreditation opportunities.

Fel ymddiriedolwr gobeithiaf gyfrannu at ymgynghoriadau polisi mewn meysydd argyfyngus megis newid hinsawdd a Brexit, sut y bydd y rhain yn dylanwadu ar ddyfodol Eryri a sut y byddan nhw’n effeithio ar waith y Gymdeithas.

As a trustee I hope to contribute to policy consultations on critical areas such as climate change and Brexit, how these will influence the future of Snowdonia and how they will affect the Snowdonia Society’s work.

Helpwch i lunio ein gwaith i warchod Eryri

Help shape our work to protect Snowdonia

Rheolir Cymdeithas Eryri gan dîm o ymddiriedolwyr etholedig. Mae gwaith y Gymdeithas yn elwa’n fawr o brofiad, medrau a gwybodaeth yr ymddiriedolwyr a ddaw o bob math o gefndir.

The Snowdonia Society is governed by a team of elected trustees. Trustees bring to the Society's work the benefit of a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge from different backgrounds.

Os ydych chi’n pryderu am ddyfodol Eryri, pam na wnewch chi helpu ein gwaith drwy ddod yn Ymddiriedolwr? Am sgwrs anffurfiol cysylltwch â’n Cyfarwyddwr, John Harold ar:

If you care about Snowdonia's future, why not help our work by becoming a Trustee? For an informal chat contact our Director, John Harold on:

01286 685498 john@snowdonia-society.org.uk

8 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

Rob Collister MBE: anrhydeddu cefnogwr brwd Cymdeithas Eryri

Rob Collister MBE: a Snowdonia Society stalwart honoured

Gwobrwywyd Rob Collister â MBE am ei wasanaeth i fynydda a chadwraeth yn Anrhydeddau Pen-blwydd y Frenhines 2019. Yn Islywydd y Clwb Alpaidd ar hyn o bryd, cymhwysodd Rob fel arweinydd mynydd yn 1976, ac mae wedi tywys cleientau ar ddringfeydd a theithiau sgïo ar bob cyfandir. Heddiw, i leihau ei ôl-troed carbon, mae’n teithio o ogledd Cymru i’r Alpau ar y trên. Mae Rob wedi gweithredu ar fforwm mynediad gogledd Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, wedi bod yn Gyfarwyddwr Ymddiriedolaeth John Muir a Sefydliad Everest ac wedi treulio dau dymor fel ymddiriedolwr i Gymdeithas Eryri.

Rob Collister has been awarded an MBE for services to mountaineering and conservation in the Queen’s 2019 Birthday Honours. Rob is a current Vice-President of The Alpine Club and has been a qualified mountain guide since 1976, having guided clients on climbs and ski tours on every continent. Nowadays, to reduce his carbon footprint he commutes to the Alps by train from north Wales. Rob has served on Snowdonia National Park’s northern access forum, been a Director of the John Muir Trust and the Mount Everest Foundation and has served two terms as trustee of the Snowdonia Society.

Mae wedi ysgrifennu sawl llyfr yn cynnwys Days to Remember: Adventures and Reflections of a Mountain Guide, Over the Hills and Far Away, a Snowdonia: Park Under Pressure, yr olaf i nodi penblwydd y Gymdeithas yn 40 oed.

He has written several books including Days to Remember: Adventures and Reflections of a Mountain Guide, Over the Hills and Far Away, and Snowdonia: Park Under Pressure, the latter to mark the Society’s 40th anniversary.

Mae’r broses gymhleth o benderfynu ar yr anrhydeddau yma’n cymryd cryn amser i ddwyn ffrwyth. Cynigiwyd cyfle i’n Cyfarwyddwr anfon llythyr o gefnogaeth i roi enw Rob ymlaen yn ôl yn 2015. Dyma ddyfyniad byr o’r llythyr hwnnw.

These honours take a while to work their way through what must be quite a complex machinery. It was back in 2015 that our Director was approached to submit a letter of endorsement for Rob’s name to be put forward. Here is a short extract from that letter.

"Yn nodweddiadol o Rob, mae ei gyfraniad yn golygu ei fod bob amser yng nghanol gwaith positif ond eto’n gweithio’n dawel heb dynnu sylw ato ei hun. Ond mae medrau Rob a’i natur yn golygu y byddai mynychu gormod o gyfarfodydd pwyllgor yn wastraff o’r hyn sydd ganddo i’w gynnig. Ei gariad tuag at y mynyddoedd a mannau gwyllt, ei wybodaeth eang amdanyn nhw a’u fodlonrwydd hael i rannu ei wybodaeth bob amser sy’n golygu bod Rob wedi rhoi cymaint i gymaint o bobl.

"Typical of Rob, his contribution keeps him at the centre of positive work whilst keeping him away from the limelight. But Rob’s skills and his nature are such that an excess of committee meetings would be a waste of what he has to give. It is in his love of the mountains and wild places, his great knowledge of them and his unerringly generous willingness to share his knowledge that Rob has given so much to so many people.

Mae Rob yn arian byw o ddyn – yn fywiog iawn ei gorff a’i feddwl, ac mae wedi gweithio’n ymarferol ar orchwylion a phrojectau cadwraeth gwirfoddol dros dri degawd. Mae nifer enfawr o wirfoddolwyr wedi elwa o dreulio amser gyda Rob ar ystod eang o ddyddiau gwaith ymarferol. Does dim modd gosod pris ar ddylanwad arbenigwr awdurdodol ond caredig fel Rob ar wirfoddolwyr eraill."

Rob is something of a dynamo – active in body as well as mind and he has put his hands to work on conservation volunteer tasks and projects over three decades. Large numbers of volunteers have benefitted from spending time with Rob on a wide range of practical workdays. The influence of such a gently authoritative outdoor expert on other volunteers should not be underestimated." Sgriliau Carneddau gyda Rob Collister (blaen) ● Carneddau scramble with Rob Collister (front) © Nick Livesey

Pinc, tlws a niweidiol Netti Collister Na, nid enw grŵp pop ond nodweddion jac-y-neidiwr Impatiens glandulifera, planhigyn ymledol sydd wedi cymryd llawer o amser staff a gwirfoddolwyr Cymdeithas Eryri yn y deng mlynedd diwethaf. Pam ein bod yn erbyn y planhigyn hwn sy’n tyfu mor dda mewn mannau llaith ac ar lannau afonydd, sy’n meddiannu tir agored a thir wedi ei aflonyddu, sy’n tyfu i uchder o dros 6 troedfedd, ac sydd mor hoff gan wenyn? Oherwydd ei fod yn goresgyn planhigion brodorol a fyddai fel arall yn cael eu peillio gan wenyn, ac sy’n darparu bwyd i wenyn. Mae ganddo wreiddiau bas ac mae’n marw yn y gaeaf gan adael glannau nentydd ac afonydd yn debygol o gael eu herydu gan nad oes dim gwreiddiau planhigion brodorol ar ôl i sefydlogi’r pridd. Mae Deddf Bywyd Gwyllt a Chefn Gwlad 1981 yn ei gwneud yn anghyfreithlon ei blannu yn y gwyllt neu ei adael i ledaenu oddi ar eich tir eich hun. Yn ddifyr iawn, mae gwefan Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri (APCE) yn datgan bod “Jac-y-neidiwr bellach mor eang ei ddosbarthiad nad yw ei waredu’n bosibl ar hyn o bryd”, sy’n ymddangos i mi fel y broffwydoliaeth llawn-gofid a gawn gan bobol besimistaidd newid hinsawdd. Rydw i wedi bod yn helpu’r Gymdeithas i ddifa jac-y-neidiwr ers dyddiau’r ymdrechion di-flino a fu’n llwyddiannus yn y pen draw i glirio lleiniau enfawr o binc o lannau Llyn Tegid, sydd unwaith eto’n cael eu gorchuddio gan blanhigion a blodau brodorol. Rydw i’n gwybod o brofiad o weithio arno’n y Bala, mewn partneriaeth â warden lleol APCE a gwirfoddolwyr, ei bod yn bosib ei ddiddymu mwy neu lai, ac yn credu bod modd o leiaf ei reoli yn Eryri wrth ymdrechu gyda’n gilydd. Dysgwyd llawer yn y dyddiau hynny, a’r peth pwysicaf oedd ei bod yn angenrheidiol cychwyn ar ben uchaf dalgylch dŵr a gweithio

ar i lawr. Mae’n ymddangos yn amlwg rŵan, ond rhoddwyd cryn ymdrech o amgylch y llyn ei hun cyn mynd i’r afael â’r is-afonydd. Heddiw mae’r Gymdeithas yn annog grwpiau lleol i fynd i’r afael â’r broblem yn eu hardaloedd eu hunain. Ar hyn o bryd rydw i’n gweithio gyda phobl Rowen a Henryd ac erbyn hyn, yn yr ail flwyddyn, rydym eisoes yn gweld gwahaniaeth mawr. Yn y flwyddyn gyntaf rhoddwyd sgwrs gyda lluniau gan staff Cymdeithas Eryri yn y neuadd bentref i rannu gwybodaeth gyda phreswylwyr, dod o hyd i helpwyr potensial a cheisio cael cefnogaeth pawb. Yr ail gam oedd arolygu’r nentydd sy’n bwydo’r afonydd Ro a’r Gyffin a sgwrsio gyda thirfeddianwyr. Gwnaed hyn yn bennaf ym mis Mai pan mae hi’n bosib adnabod y planhigyn er ei fod yn fach. Ym mis Mehefin a Gorffennaf mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r gwaith difa wedi ei wneud, ddwy neu dair gwaith yr wythnos gan grwpiau o 2-12 o wirfoddolwyr ardderchog. Rydym yn rhoi’r gorau i ddifa ym mis Awst wrth i’r codau hadau aeddfedu a dechrau ffrwydro o gael eu cyffwrdd oherwydd byddai ein hymdrechion yn debygol o gynyddu’r risg o’i ledaenu ymhellach, mae’n debyg. Rydym yn ail-ymweld â phrif fannau difa’r flwyddyn er mwyn clirio’r lleiniau hynny sydd, yn anochel, wedi eu methu. Eleni, yn ogystal â symud i lawr yr afon i ardaloedd na gafodd eu trin o’r blaen, rydym yn ymweld yn rheolaidd â mannau a gliriwyd gennym y llynedd i glirio planhigion unigol sydd ar ôl – gwelwyd gwahaniaeth mawr yn barod ac rydym yn disgwyl mai dim ond ambell i blanhigyn fydd ar ôl mewn rhyw flwyddyn neu ddwy. Rydw i’n bwriadu gofyn i un unigolyn fabwysiadu pob ardal ‘glir’ i dynnu planhigion unigol a monitro cynnydd.

Safle jac-y-neidiwr nodweddiadol ar lan nant ● A typical streamside balsam site

Beth fyddem ni’n ei wneud yn wahanol? Y flwyddyn nesaf rhown gynnig ar bladuro neu strimio lleiniau detholedig sawl gwaith oherwydd fe all hyn fod yn fwy effeithiol o ran ardaloedd hawdd-eu-cyrraedd a orchuddir â llawer o blanhigion. A’r peryglon? Pigiadau danadl poethion, poen cefn, dŵr yn eich welingtons, llosg haul a bwyta gormod o deisen pan fydd ambell i dirfeddiannwr yn ei darparu (diolch, Marion!). Y buddion? Gwella ein hamgylchedd, sgwrsio difyr, cyfeillgarwch, ymarfer corff… ac, weithiau, teisen! Pam na wnewch chi sefydlu grŵp lleol yn 2020? Mae digon o gefnogaeth staff Cymdeithas Eryri ar gael a gwir deimlad eich bod yn gwneud gwahaniaeth yn ein Parc Cenedlaethol hyfryd. Gyda’n gilydd fe ALLWN wneud hyn. Netti Collister, Ymddiriedolwr Cymdeithas Eryri

Pink, pretty and pernicious Netti Collister No, not the name of a pop group but features of Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera, an invasive plant that has taken a great deal of Snowdonia Society staff and volunteers’ time in the last 10 years or so. Why are we against this plant that grows so well in damp places and riversides, colonising disturbed, open areas so freely, growing to a height of over 6 ft and that honeybees love? Because it crowds out native plants that bees would otherwise pollinate and forage upon. It is shallow rooted and dies off in winter leaving stream and river banks vulnerable to erosion as there are no native plant roots left to stabilise the soil. It is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant it in the wild or to allow it to spread off your own land. Interestingly the Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) website declares that, ‘Himalayan balsam is now so widespread that eradication is currently not feasible’, which seems to me the same sort of doom-laden prophecy espoused by climate change pessimists.

What would we do differently? Next year we will try scything or strimming selected areas repeatedly as it may be more efficient for easy-to-get-at areas with a heavy infestation. The hazards? Nettle stings, backache, water over your wellies, sunburn and eating too much cake when the occasional landowner provides it (thanks Marion!). The benefits? Improving our environment, lots of talk, friendship, exercise ….and, sometimes, cake! Why not start a local group in 2020? There’s lots of support from Snowdonia Society staff to help you and a real feeling that you are making a difference in our lovely National Park. Together we CAN do it. Netti Collister, Snowdonia Society Trustee

I have been helping the Society to pull balsam since the days of the tireless and ultimately successful efforts to clear vast swathes of pink around Llyn Tegid which are now once again properly covered with native plants and flowers. I know, from experience working on it in Bala, in partnership with the local SNPA warden and volunteers, that it can be virtually eradicated and believe that with concerted effort it could at least be brought under control in Snowdonia. Much was learned in those early days, the most important lesson being that it is necessary to start at the top of a watercourse and work down. Seems obvious now, but major effort went into the area round the lake before the tributaries were tackled. Today the Society is encouraging local groups to take on their own problem areas. I am currently working with the people of Rowen and Henryd and now, in the second year, we are already seeing a big difference. In the first year we started with an illustrated talk by Snowdonia Society staff in the village hall to inform residents, find potential helpers and generally get everyone ‘on side’. Step two involved surveying the streams that feed into the rivers Roe and Gyffin and talking to landowners. This was done mostly in May when the plants are identifiable but still small.

Dinistrio jac-y-neidiwr. Cyn ac ar ôl ● Bashing the balsalm. Before and after

In June and July the bulk of the pulling is done, two or three times a week by groups of 2-12 wonderful volunteers. We stop pulling in early August when the seed pods ripen and begin to explode when touched, our efforts would only increase the risk of spreading seed still further. We go back over the year’s focus areas to catch those that have, inevitably, been missed. This year, as well as moving downstream to previously untouched areas we are paying regular visits to places we cleared last year to remove stragglers - there is a marked difference already and we expect that in a couple more years there will only be the occasional plant. I plan to ask one person to take on each ‘clear’ area to remove the odd plants and monitor progress.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 11

O’r Amazon i Abergeirw John Harold Cadw cadwraeth mewn golwg Mae fflamau coedwigoedd yr Amazon yn llosgi drwy ein sgriniau teledu. Does dim byd newydd am glirio a llosgi wrth hawlio tir gwyllt ar gyfer amaethyddiaeth. Dyma barhad ymarfer hynafol, er ei fod bellach ar raddfa ddiwydiannol er mwyn ateb gofynion byd-eang. Dyma sut y lluniwyd tirlun Eryri gan y ffermwyr cyntaf. Yr hyn sy’n fwy annisgwyl yw’r ymateb cryf, fel pe bai’r byd wedi sylweddoli’n sydyn unwaith y bydd wedi mynd, bydd wedi mynd am byth. Pan mae llywydd Brazil yn bychanu pryderon am ddinistr y coedwigoedd, mae’n anghywir. Fodd bynnag, wrth ddisgrifio’r ymateb rhyngwladol fel meddylfryd ‘coloneiddwyr’, efallai fod ganddo bwynt. Mae cadwraeth yn golygu cadw’r pethau yr ydym yn eu hystyried yn werthfawr; cadw’r pethau gorau a grëwyd gan fyd natur a dynoliaeth. Mae cadwraeth yn dathlu ac yn amddiffyn yr hyn sy’n hoff gennym, boed y rheiny weithiau yn gelf, llyfrau, llawysgrifau, arteffactau ac adeiladau hynafol, tirluniau, planhigion, anifeiliaid, ecosystemau; mae’r rhestr yn faith. Mae cadwraeth yn golygu nodi blaenoriaethau a gwneud dewisiadau. Dyfarniadau gwerth yw’r dewisiadau hynny, ac maen nhw mor amrywiol â’r bobl sy’n eu gwneud. Mae’r dasg y mae cadwraeth yn ei osod iddo’i hun yn enfawr – sef gwarchod heddiw gysylltau cadwyn sy’n ymestyn o’r gorffennol i’r dyfodol. Mae cadwraethwyr yn teimlo mor fregus yw pob cyswllt, mor hawdd eu colli neu eu torri, ac mor anodd eu hail-gysylltu. Sonnir yn aml, yn wahanol i’r Amazon, nad oes gennym dir gwyllt yn y DU. Mae gennym rannau sy’n dangos ychydig o ddylanwad dynol; yn Eryri mae hynny’n golygu llethrau coediog serth, ceunentydd afonydd, clogwyni’r mynydd neu’r môr. Mae’r syniad yma o dir gwyllt fel rhywle nad yw wedi ei ddylanwadu Capel bach Abergeirw © Keith O'Brien

gan law dyn, fodd bynnag, yn datgelu rhai tybiaethau. I bobl frodorol yr Amazon, a ydy eu coedwig yn ‘wyllt’ neu a ydy hi’n lle y mae ganddyn nhw berthynas personol a diwylliannol â hi? Sut mae’r goedwig ‘wyllt’ yn edrych i’r bobl sy’n ffermio o amgylch ei chyrion, sydd wedi cytrefu yna’n ddiweddar o bosib neu ella wedi gwneud hynny ers cenedlaethau? Ydy’r perthnasau yma’n wahanol i rai pobl eraill y mae eu bywoliaeth yn dibynnu ar yr adnoddau naturiol lle maen nhw’n byw yn cynnwys, wrth gwrs, ffermwyr Eryri? Efallai bod hyn yn ymddangos yn haniaethol, ond mae’n berthnasol i’r materion sy’n wynebu Eryri a llawer o’n cefn gwlad. Heb wir dir gwyllt, daw’r pethau yr ydym yn eu gwerthfawrogi yn nhirlun Eryri’n bennaf o’r rhyngweithio rhwng rheolaeth tir traddodiadol a’r ddaeareg islaw, yr hydroleg a’r ecoleg. Mae’r ddadl dros warchod Eryri fel Parc Cenedlaethol ynghlwm wrth etifeddiaeth canrifoedd o waith llaw dyn. Mae cadwraeth llwyddiannus un ai’n cadw’r dwylo yna’n ddiwyd neu rhywsut yn ail-greu’r medrau a’r wybodaeth a grëodd y nodweddion yma yr ydym yn eu gwerthfawrogi. Mae gwaith o’r fath yn hawdd ei roi o’r neilltu os nad yw’n cael ei wneud yn flaenoriaeth. ‘Ail-asesu blaenoriaethau’ yw’r hyn sy’n gyrru’r tanau drwy goedwigoedd Brazil. Mae gadael pethau i fflamau datblygiad economaidd tymor byr bron cyn hyned â’r bryniau. Yn niwl yr ansicrwydd sy’n gorchuddio’r DU heddiw mae’n debygol iawn na fydd cadwraeth amgylcheddol yn cael ei wneud yn flaenoriaeth. Mae’n debyg nad ydych wedi clywed am Erthygl 17 y Cyfarwyddyd Cynefinoedd. Mae’n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i Wledydd sy’n Aelodau o’r UE adrodd i’r Comisiwn Ewropeaidd bob chwe mlynedd ar statws cynefinoedd a rhywogaethau â blaenoriaeth. Cyhoeddir 4ydd adroddiad Erthygl 17 ym mis Medi 2019, ac fe’i paratowyd gan Gyrff Cadwraeth Natur Statudol yr UE. Mae’r adroddiad yn datgelu rhai llwyddiannau a methiannau, ond yr hyn sy’n bwysig yw’r broses adrodd ei hun. Dyma brif ddull llywodraethau’r DU – yn cynnwys y rhai yng Nghaerdydd a Llundain – i gadw golwg ar gynnydd cadwraeth natur. Mae’n peri dipyn o syndod i gael ein hatgoffa bod gan Gymru Gorff Cadwraeth Natur Statudol. Ychydig o bobl sy’n gyfarwydd â Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru (CNC) fyddai’n ei ystyried fel un o’r rheiny, o ystyried bod ‘natur’ a ‘chadwraeth’ wedi eu dileu’n systematig o’i eirfa gweithredu. Mae CNC wedi rhoi rheolaeth a monitro safleoedd cadwraeth dynodedig daearol o’r neilltu, yn cynnwys Gwarchodfeydd Natur Cenedlaethol. Bydd y rhai sinicaidd yn ein mysg yn

Pentref bychan rhwng Trawsfynydd a Dolgellau yw Abergeirw. Yn 2008 dyma bentref olaf Cymru i’w gysylltu â phrif ffrwd trydan. Dyma un o’r lleoedd yn Eryri sy’n cael ei effeithio gan benderfyniadau a wneir filltiroedd lawer i ffwrdd. Fe saif yn agos at goedwigaeth planhigfeydd eang ymysg tir amaethyddol ymylol.

Ein blwyddyn hyd yn hyn

dweud na fydd cyflwr ein safleoedd cadwraethol sy’n dirywio’n cael eu cofnodi, gan alluogi GNC i ganolbwyntio sylw ar weithgareddau hamdden a masnachol. Mae hyd yn oed safle fonitro’r Rhwydwaith Newid Amgylcheddol ar Yr Wyddfa mewn perygl, er ei bod yn rhan o ymchwil ryngwladol tymor hir pwysig sy’n cyflenwi gwybodaeth am newid ecolegol a hinsawdd. O fewn ychydig o wythnosau wedi i’r cylchgrawn hwn eich cyrraedd, bydd sail gyfreithlon llywodraethu amgylcheddol wedi newid. Ni fydd hyn yn cyrraedd y penawdau, ond ym myd cadwraeth, dyma garreg sylfaen. Beth fydd yn dod i gymryd lle mecanweithiau’r UE ar gyfer adrodd ar fethiant gan y llywodraeth i gynnal rheoliadau amgylcheddol? Beth fydd yn digwydd os nad yw’r egwyddor o ragofal bellach yn ystyriaeth o bwys yn ôl y gyfraith? Yr ateb yn y ddau achos yw nad oes neb yn gwybod. Mewn byd ansicr mae senarios hollol wahanol yn codi. Mae cwymp mewn prisiau tir bellach yn bosibilrwydd pendant yn yr ucheldir. I’r sawl sy’n benderfynol o wireddu dadddofi, dyma gyfle. Mae dad-ddofi’n adlewyrchu gwahanol olwg ar fyd natur a’n lle oddi mewn iddo a byddai’n arwain at wahanol gynefinoedd, rhywogaethau a thirluniau un ai’n ennill neu golli. Mae cwymp mewn prisiau tir hefyd yn denu diwydiannau hapfasnachol megis coedwigaeth planhigfeydd. Byddai dychwelyd i goedwigo arwynebedd enfawr a chwympo’r coed ar gylchdro’n drychineb i dirluniau a byd natur. Mae’n rhyfeddol fel y gall ymatebion mor wahanol i ansicrwydd orwedd ochr wrth ochr. Fe all rhai o’r llwybrau yma drwy’r niwl danseilio tirluniau diwylliannol nodweddiadol ein Parciau Cenedlaethol. Yn Eryri mae canrifoedd o waith ar y tir wedi’n gadael gyda harddwch garw. Gofynnwch i waliwr cloddiau cerrig sych o Dales Swydd Efrog godi clawdd yn Eryri a bydd yn cwyno bod y cerrig i gyd yn ‘bennau cŵn’, heb ddim wynebau cyfochrog, a luniwyd gan eu profiadau hynafol gyda haenau o rew a dŵr tawdd. Mae ein cloddiau lleol nodweddiadol yn dyst i gyd-esblygiad pobl a thirluniau. Mae pobl yn gallu bod yn hynod anghyfforddus gydag ansicrwydd ond ni ddylem anwybyddu’r potensial am bethau positif: y cyfle, er enghraifft, i archwilio taliadau amaeth-amgylcheddol er mwyn gwireddu gwell canlyniadau dros fyd natur a chanlyniadau tecach i ffermwyr. Dyma ddull arall o roi’r un hafaliad ar waith â’r un sy’n digwydd yn yr Amazon a mannau eraill; mater o flaenoriaethau, dewisiadau a’r gwerthoedd a gynrychiolir ganddyn nhw. Bydd angen i’r rhai sy’n rhannu cyfrifoldeb dros y tir gydweithio er mwyn dod o hyd i’r positif, drwy’r mwg a’r niwl, a chadw golwg ar gadwraeth. John Harold yw Cyfarwyddwr Cymdeithas Eryri

Mae ein gwirfoddolwyr anhygoel wedi cael blwyddyn brysur hyd yma! Cynhaliwyd dros 80 o ddyddiau gwirfoddoli ers mis Ionawr 2019 ac mae gwirfoddolwyr wedi gweithio’r swm anhygoel o 2753 o oriau. Treuliwyd yr amser yma’n rheoli cynefinoedd, cynnal llwybrau, clirio rhywogaethau ymledol a hyd yn oed helpu i greu toiled compost! Mae gwirfoddolwyr wedi cyfrannu at: • 19 o ddyddiau cynnal a chadw llwybrau lle cynhaliwyd 53 km o lwybrau. Mae gwirfoddolwyr wedi gweithio i glirio draeniau a ffosydd a chlirio llystyfiant ymledol. Maen nhw hefyd wedi creu a gosod arwyddion newydd i nodi llwybrau. • 7 o ddyddiau codi sbwriel ar lwybrau a thraethau lle casglwyd 287kg o sbwriel, yn cynnwys dros 600 o boteli plastig. 34 o ddyddiau rheoli cynefin yn cynnwys: • 10 diwrnod yn trwsio terfynau megis ffensys a chloddiau cerrig sych i gadw da byw yn eu lle. • 11 o ddyddiau plannu coed lle plannwyd dros 3,000 o goed. • 13 diwrnod o gyflawni gorchwylion rheoli cynefin fel clirio prysgwydd a thocio gwern er mwyn rheoli cynefinoedd coedlan a gwelltir. 19 o ddyddiau rheoli rhywogaethau ymledol yn cynnwys: • 8 diwrnod o glirio rhododendron lle cliriwyd 2.5 hectar. Digwyddodd llawer o’r gwaith hwn yn Nant Gwynant – yn cysylltu’n uniongyrchol â chynllun rheoli rhododendron Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri a’r project LIFE sydd ar y gweill ar hyn o bryd. • 6 diwrnod o glirio jac-y-neidiwr lle treuliodd gwirfoddolwyr oriau’n tynnu’r planhigyn ymledol hwn sydd â gwreiddiau bas o’r pridd â llaw. • 3 diwrnod o glirio coed a bedw; dyma waith rheoli gwlyptir hanfodol gan fod y coed yma’n coloneiddio gwlyptir yn sydyn, yn sugno dŵr ac, yn y pen draw, os na chân nhw eu clirio, yn sychu ein gwlyptir yn sylweddol. Mae gan hyn ganlyniadau difrifol i fioamrywiaeth, hidlo a storio dŵr a storio carbon. Diolch enfawr i’n holl wirfoddolwyr. Chi sydd wedi cyflawni hyn, a heb eich gwaith dygn chi ni fyddai ein gwaith ni yn bosibl. Os hoffech wneud gwahaniaeth, cymryd rhan ymarferol a dysgu am Eryri, pam na wnewch chi gymryd rhan? Cysylltwch â Dan Goodwin: dan@snowdonia-society.org.uk neu Mary Williams: mary@snowdonia-society.org.uk Mae gweithio mewn partneriaeth yn rhan allweddol o’n gwaith ac ymysg ein partneriaid ymarferol diweddar mae Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, Ymddiriedolaeth Bywyd Gwyllt Gogledd Cymru, Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, Coed Cadw a Chanolfan Gadwraeth Pensychnant.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 13

From the Amazon to Abergeirw John Harold Keeping conservation in sight

Cader Idris o Abergeirw ● Cader Idris from Abergeirw © Keith O'Brien

Amazon forest flames are burning through our television screens. There is nothing new about slash-andburn claiming wild land for agriculture. It is the continuation of an ancient practice, albeit now on an industrial scale and to satisfy global demands. It is how the first farmers shaped the Snowdonia landscape. More unexpected is the robust outcry, as though the world has suddenly realised that when it’s gone, it really is gone. When the president of Brazil swats away concerns about destruction of the forests, he is wrong. However, in describing the international response as ‘colonialist’ thinking, he may have a point. Conservation is about keeping the things we value; saving the best of what nature and humanity have created. Conservation celebrates and defends what we cherish, be that works of art, books, manuscripts, ancient artefacts, stately buildings, landscapes, plants, animals, ecosystems; the list goes on. Conservation involves identifying priorities and making choices. Those choices are value judgements, and are as diverse as the people who make them. The task which conservation sets itself is herculean – to protect today the links of a chain which stretches from the past into the future. Conservationists feel the fragility of each link, how easily they are lost or broken, how hard to mend. It is often noted that, unlike the Amazon, we don’t have any wild land in the UK. We have fragments where human impacts are limited; in Snowdonia that means steep wooded hillsides, river gorges, cliffs of the mountains and coast. This view of wild land as untouched and free of human impact, however, reveals some assumptions. To the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, is their forest ‘wild’ or is it a place with which they have a personal and cultural relationship? How does the ‘wild’ forest look to the people who farm around its edges, who may be recent settlers or may have done so for generations? Are these relationships different from those of anyone whose livelihood depends on the natural resources where they live, including of course the farmers of Snowdonia? This may seem abstract, but it is relevant to the issues facing Snowdonia and much of our countryside. With no true wilderness, the things we value in the Snowdonia landscape come largely from the interaction of traditional land management with the underlying geology, hydrology and ecology. The argument for conserving Snowdonia as a National Park is entwined with the legacy of centuries of work by human hands.

14 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

Successful conservation either keeps those hands working or somehow replicates the skills and knowledge that created the features we value. Such work easily falls by the wayside if it isn’t made a priority. ‘Reassessment of priorities’ is what is driving the fires through Brazilian forests. The abandonment of things of value to the flames of short-term economic development is almost as old as the hills. In the fog of uncertainty blanketing the UK today it is quite likely that environmental conservation will be deprioritised. You probably haven’t heard of Article 17 of the Habitats Directive. It requires EU Member States to report to the European Commission every six years on the status of priority habitats and species. The fourth Article 17 report is published in September 2019, and has been prepared by the UK’s Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. The report reveals some successes and failures, but it is the reporting process itself that matters. It is a major method by which the governments of the UK – including those in Cardiff and London – keep track of the progress of nature conservation. It comes as a surprise to be reminded that Wales has a Statutory Nature Conservation Body. Few familiar with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) would think of it as such, given that ‘nature’ and ‘conservation’ have been systematically deleted from its working lexicon. NRW has largely abandoned both management and monitoring of terrestrial designated conservation sites, including National Nature Reserves. Cynics will point out that without monitoring, the declining state of our conservation sites will go unrecorded, allowing NRW to focus attention on recreation and commercial activities. Even the Environmental Change Network monitoring site on Snowdon is at risk, despite being part of important long-term international research, giving insights into ecological and climate change.

Abergeirw is a remote hamlet between Trawsfynydd and Dolgellau. In 2008 it was the last village in Wales to be connected to mains electricity. It is one of many places in Snowdonia vulnerable to decisions taken far away. It sits near to extensive plantation forestry amongst marginal agricultural land.

Within a few weeks of this magazine reaching you, the legal basis of environmental governance will have changed. This won’t make the headlines, but in the world of conservation, this is a foundation stone. What will replace EU mechanisms for reporting failure by government to uphold environmental regulations? What will happen if the precautionary principle is no longer a material consideration in law? The answer in both cases is that nobody knows. Radically different scenarios arise in an uncertain world. A crash in land prices is now a distinct possibility in the uplands. For those intent on a rewilding agenda, this is an opportunity. Rewilding reflects a different view of nature and our place in it and would lead to different habitats, species and landscapes becoming winners or losers. A collapse in land prices also attracts speculative industries such as plantation forestry. A return to blanket afforestation of uplands with non-native conifers and short rotation clearfelling would be a catastrophe for landscapes and nature. It is remarkable that such different responses to uncertainty can sit side by side. Some of these routes through the fog could undermine the distinctive cultural landscapes of our National Parks. In Snowdonia centuries of toil on the land have left behind a rough unpolished beauty. Ask a dry-stone waller from the Yorkshire Dales to build a wall in Snowdonia and they will complain that the stones are all ‘dog-heads’, with no parallel faces, shaped by their ancient encounters with ice-sheets and meltwater. Our well-built and distinctive local walls are testament to the co-evolution of people and landscapes. People find uncertainty uncomfortable but we should not overlook the potential for positives; the chance, for example, to overhaul agri-environment payments to deliver better results for nature and more equitable outcomes for farmers. This is a different working of the same equation that is playing out in the Amazon and elsewhere; questions of priorities, choices and the values they represent. Those who share responsibility for the land will need to keep working together in search of the positive, through the smoke and the fog, to keep conservation in sight. John Harold is the Director of the Snowdonia Society

Our year so far Our incredible volunteers have had a busy year so far! Over 80 volunteer days have been held since January 2019 and volunteers have worked an amazing 2753 hours. This time has been spent managing habitats, maintaining footpaths, clearing invasive species and even helping to build a compost toilet! Volunteers have contributed to: • 19 footpath maintenance days where 53 km of footpaths were maintained. Volunteers have worked hard to clear drains and culverts, remove invading vegetation. They have also made and installed way markers. • 7 litter picking days on footpaths and beaches where 287kg of litter was collected, including over 600 plastic bottles. 34 habitat management days including: • 10 days repairing boundaries such as fences and drystone walls to secure livestock. • 11 tree planting days where over 3,000 trees were planted. • 13 days doing habitat management tasks such as scrub clearance and alder coppicing to manage woodland and grassland habitats. 19 invasive species management days including: • 8 rhododendron clearance days where 2.47 hectares were cleared. Much of this work took place in Nant Gwynant – feeding directly into Snowdonia National Park Authority’s rhododendron management plan and the LIFE project currently underway. • 6 Himalayan balsam clearance days where volunteers spent hours pulling up this shallow-rooted, invasive plant. • 3 days clearing conifer and birch trees; this is vital wetland management work as these trees quickly colonise wetlands, suck up water and eventually, if they are not removed, significantly dry out wetlands. This has consequences for biodiversity, water filtration & storage and carbon storage. A big thank you to all our volunteers; this achievement is yours, and without your hard work, our work would not be possible. If you would like to make a difference, get active and learn about Snowdonia, why not get involved? Contact Dan Goodwin: dan@snowdonia-society.org.uk or Mary Williams: mary@snowdonia-society.org.uk Partnership working is a key part of our work and recent practical partners include Snowdonia National Park Authority, North Wales Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Natural Resources Wales, The Woodland Trust and Pensychnant Conservation Centre.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 15

Darganfod y Carneddau Emily La Trobe-Bateman

Merlyn y Carneddau ● Carneddau pony © Andrew Hardy

Mae Project Tirlun y Carneddau yn dathlu wedi iddo dderbyn £1.7 miliwn o Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol ar gyfer cynllun a fydd yn sicrhau budd i ystod eang o bobl sy’n byw yn ardal y Carneddau, a chefnogi’r dreftadaeth naturiol a diwylliannol arbennig. Bydd rhaglen o weithgareddau yn gwarchod bywyd gwyllt allweddol, cynefinoedd a gweddillion archeolegol, cynyddu dealltwriaeth a medrau, a gwella mynediad i dreftadaeth tirlun yr ardal. Mae cyfanswm gwerth y cynllun, yn cynnwys ariannucyfatebol ac incwm grant arall, dros £4 miliwn. Bydd y cynllun 5-mlynedd yn cychwyn ym mis Hydref. Ymysg uchafbwyntiau’r project mae gwelliannau i lwybr cerdded gylchol lefel-isel o amgylch y Carneddau; cofnodi a rhannu atgofion ac enwau lleoedd traddodiadol; a defnyddio mapiau newydd digidol hynod fanwl o’r tirlun er mwyn adnabod a mapio llystyfiant, ardaloedd o fawn a nodweddion archeolegol. Rhoir project cymunedol newydd cyffrous ar waith i archwilio’r ucheldir uwchben Llanfairfechan a Phenmaenmawr, lle cloddiwyd bwyeill Neolithig enwog Graiglwyd. Bydd staff a phartneriaid y project hefyd yn helpu i gefnogi grwpiau i glirio jac-y-neidiwr o nentydd ac afonydd, a rhoi gwaith ar y gweill i greu dolydd newydd. Rhoir mentrau ar y gweill i fynd i’r afael â bygythiadau eraill i gymeriad arbennig y Carneddau, megis clirio eithin a rhedyn o safleoedd allweddol ar yr ucheldir, fel rhan o’r gwaith i warchod gweddillion hynafol gwerthfawr a thiroedd bwydo’r frân goesgoch, aderyn prin yn y DU ond yn ymwelydd rheolaidd ag ucheldir y Carneddau. Bydd coed yn cael eu plannu hefyd ar wasgar ar hyd afonydd a nentydd penodol, a gwneir gwaith trwsio hanfodol i fannau o fawndir wedi ei erydu. Yn ogystal â’r ystod eang o weithgareddau a digwyddiadau sydd wedi eu cynllunio, bydd grantiau bach ar gael i gymunedau lleol y Carneddau i gefnogi syniadau project sy’n ateb amcanion y cynllun. Gweledigaeth y bartneriaeth yw helpu cynulleidfa mor eang â phosib i ddarganfod, gwarchod a dathlu’r Carneddau, a darparu cyfleoedd difyr y gellir eu mwynhau wrth gymryd rhan mewn llawer o weithgareddau gwahanol y project. Tirlun rhyfeddol Canolbwynt y cynllun yw mynyddoedd y Carneddau, sy’n cynnwys dau o bum copa 1000m Cymru, sef Carnedd Llywelyn

16 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

a Charnedd Dafydd. Ar y llethrau isaf, rhwng yr ucheldir agored a’r ffermdir hanesyddol a amgaewyd, mae cynefin clytwaith ecolegol amrywiol a phwysig y ffridd, sy’n cynnwys gwelldir garw, grug, rhedyn, brigiadau creigiog a choed gwasgaredig. Saif sawl anheddiad, yn cynnwys Bethesda, Abergwyngregyn, Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr, Rowen, Dolgarrog, Trefriw a Chapel Curig o amgylch ei gyrion. Y bobl a’r sefydliadau sy’n cymryd rhan yn y cynllun Mae Partneriaeth Tirlun y Carneddau’n cynnwys dros ugain o gyrff, yn cynnwys llywodraeth leol, y trydydd sector a chyrff cymunedol, sydd wedi bod yn cydweithio ers sawl blwyddyn i ddatblygu projectau a fydd yn helpu i warchod treftadaeth benodol y Carneddau. Mae pum partner craidd: Cadw, Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, Cymdeithas Eryri a Pharc Cenedlaethol Eryri (sef y prif bartner a fydd yn cynnal tîm y staff ac yn gweinyddu’r project). Mae’r cynllun yn rhan o raglen grantiau Partneriaeth Tirlun Cronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol, a ariannodd y bartneriaeth mewn cyfnod o ddatblygiad am ddwy flynedd rhwng 2017-19. Roedd deall cysylltiad y cymunedau sy’n byw ac yn gweithio yn y Carneddau â’r tirlun yn hanfodol i’r cam hwn. Ymysg y gwaith roedd ymgynghori â 57 o gyrff, 22 o ysgolion a 67 o ffermwyr, 6 digwyddiad galw-heibio cymunedol, 6 astudiaeth peilot, 29 o astudiaethau wedi eu comisiynu, archwiliadau a chynlluniau, a dros 100 o ymatebion i holiaduron! Roedd yr adborth o’r broses hon yn hynod werthfawr, gan gyfrannu i’r cynllun, a datblygwyd gweithgareddau’r project. Mae gwybodaeth am y gwaith, cymeriad y tirlun ac arwyddocâd ei dreftadaeth naturiol, hanesyddol a diwylliannol wedi ei chasglu ynghyd fel Cynllun Gweithredu Cadwraeth Tirlun ac yn ffurfio prif ran cais Partneriaeth y Carneddau i’r Gronfa Dreftadaeth. Treftadaeth naturiol, hanesyddol, a diwylliannol y Carneddau Yn ystod y broses ymgynghori gwelwyd bod cydnabyddiaeth eang o rinweddau’r ardal o ran gofod, bywyd gwyllt ac, yn yr ucheldir, unigedd a heddwch. Amlygwyd hefyd cymaint o anwybodaeth sydd am y dreftadaeth naturiol, hanesyddol a diwylliannol – a bod

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Archeolegydd yw Emily sydd wedi gweithio yng ngogledd gorllewin Cymru ers bron i 20 mlynedd ac ar hyn o bryd mae hi’n ymchwilio i Dirlun Caeau Cynnar Eryri (Snowdonia's Early Fieldscapes) ym Mhrifysgol Sheffield (elatrobe-bateman1@sheffield.ac.uk). Bu’n helpu gyda pharatoi’r cais ariannu ac ysgrifennodd Gynllun Gweithredu Cadwraeth y Carneddau (ar y cyd â John G Roberts, Archeolegydd Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri a oedd yn Rheolwr Project cyfnod datblygu Cynllun y Carneddau).

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Llwybrau • Footpaths

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Os hoffech chi wybod mwy am y cynllun cyffrous newydd hwn, ewch i: www.snowdonia.gov.wales/looking-after/ carneddau-partnership ac arwyddwch am yr hanes diweddaraf yn rheolaidd.

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Bydd tîm o chwe aelod o staff craidd yn gyfrifol am gydlynu’r gwahanol brojectau, gyda phwyslais ar atgyfnerthu’r cysylltiadau sydd eisoes yn bodoli gyda chymunedau lleol a sicrhau bod pobl yn ymwybodol o gyfleodd i gymryd rhan. Hefyd, bydd arbenigwyr o fewn y cyrff sy’n bartneriaid yn cydweithio gyda staff a gwirfoddolwyr y project i helpu i wireddu’r rhaglen o weithgareddau.

Tîm y project

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O ganlyniad i newidiadau yn nulliau ffermio’r mynyddoedd mae’r nifer o bobl sy’n gweithio yno wedi prinhau’n ddifrifol. Mae llawer o’r porwyr bellach dros 80 oed! Mae llai na chwarter o ffermwyr a rheolwyr tir o dan 50 ac mae’r nifer yn prinhau. Mae effaith y tueddiadau yma’n ddifrifol: mae cysylltiadau diwylliannol, enwau lleoedd, traddodiadau ffermio a ffordd o fyw’n cael eu colli. Bydd cofnodi a rhannu gwybodaeth, atgofion a straeon yn sicrhau y bydd cymunedau a’r cyhoedd yn gyffredinol yn gwybod mwy am hanes yr ardal.

Wyddoch chi bod y Carneddau yn gartref i goeden sydd yn ddim ond 2cm o daldra? Neu bod dros 100 o garneddau hynafol ar gopaon a chribau’r Carneddau? Y goeden yw’r helygen fach, un o sawl rhywogaeth sy’n tyfu fel rhan o’r cynefin rhostir mynydd hynod o brin sydd, yn anffodus, yn goroesi ar ychydig iawn o gopaon y mynyddoedd heddiw. Mae rhywogaethau eraill o blanhigion arctig-alpaidd, megis brwynddail y mynydd, wedi goroesi ar glogwyni mynyddig a llethrau sgrî serth, lle maen nhw’n cael eu gwarchod rhag pori gan dda byw a phobl yn crwydro.

Small charity - Big impact

y mwyafrif llethol o bobl yn frwdfrydig dros ddysgu mwy.

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Coed • Trees

Rhododendron Sioe Amaethyddol Dyffryn Ogwen Agricultural show © SNPA

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 17

Discovering the Carneddau Emily La Trobe-Bateman The Carneddau Landscape Partnership is celebrating after securing £1.7 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a scheme that will benefit a wide range of people living in and around the Carneddau and support its special natural and cultural heritage. A programme of activities will conserve key wildlife, habitats and archaeological remains, increase understanding and skills, and improve access to the area’s landscape heritage. The total value of the scheme, including match-funding and other grant income, is over £4 million. The 5-year scheme is due to begin this October. Project highlights include improvements to a 60km low-level circular walking route around the Carneddau; recording and sharing memories and traditional place-names; and using new, very detailed digital maps of the landscape to identify and map vegetation, areas of peat and archaeological features. An exciting new community project will take place investigating the uplands above Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, where the famous Graiglwyd Neolithic axes were quarried. Project staff and partners will also help support groups to remove Himalayan balsam from streams and rivers, and work will begin to create new meadows. There will be initiatives to tackle other threats to the special character of the Carneddau, such as removing gorse and bracken from key upland sites, as part of work to protect important ancient remains and the feeding grounds for chough, a rare bird in the UK but a regular visitor to the uplands of the Carneddau. There will also be low-density scattered tree planting alongside selected rivers and streams, and essential repair work to areas of eroded peatland. In addition to the wide range of planned activities and events, there will be small grants available to the local communities of the Carneddau to support project ideas that meet the ambitions of the scheme. The vision of the partnership is to help as broad an audience as possible discover, conserve and celebrate the Carneddau, providing interesting and enjoyable opportunities to get involved in many different project activities. A remarkable landscape The scheme area is dominated by the Carneddau mountains, which include two of Wales’ five 1000m peaks, Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd. On the lower slopes, between the unenclosed uplands and the historically enclosed farmland, Gwirfoddolwyr yn clirio eithin o safle archeolegol ● Volunteers clearing gorse from an archaeological site © SNPA

Tormaen porffor ● Purple saxifrage © Richard Gallon

is an ecologically diverse and important mosaic habitat known as ffridd, made up of rough grassland, heather, bracken, rock outcrops and scattered trees. Several settlements, including Bethesda, Abergwyngregryn, Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr, Rowen, Dolgarrog, Trefriw and Capel Curig lie around its edge. The people and organisations involved in the scheme The Carneddau Landscape Partnership is made up of more than twenty organisations, including local government, third sector and community organisations, who have been working together for several years to develop projects that will help conserve the distinctive heritage of the Carneddau. There are five core partners: Cadw, National Trust, Natural Resources Wales, Snowdonia Society and the Snowdonia National Park (who are the lead organisation and who will host the staff team and administer the scheme). The scheme is part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Landscape Partnership grant programme, which initially funded the partnership for a two-year development phase from 201719. Understanding how communities who live and work in the Carneddau engage, or would like to engage, with the landscape was critical to this phase. Work included consultations with 57 organisations, 22 schools and 67 farmers, six community dropin events, six pilot studies, 29 commissioned studies, audits and plans, and more than a hundred questionnaire responses! The feedback from this process was invaluable, contributing to the way the scheme and individual project activities were developed. Information about this work, the character of the landscape and the significance of its natural, historical and cultural heritage has been synthesised as a Landscape Conservation Action Plan which formed the main part of the Carneddau Partnership’s bid to the Heritage Fund. The Carneddau’s natural, historic and cultural heritage The consultation process showed that there is wide recognition of the area’s qualities of space, wildlife and, in the high uplands, solitude and peace. It also highlighted how much of its natural,

Cofnodi rhywogaethau o blanhigion ● Recording plant species © Snowdonia-Active

Eisteddfod 2019 Mynychodd tîm Cymdeithas Eryri faes yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Llanrwst. Roedd yn wych cyfarfod a sgwrsio gyda chymaint o bobl a oedd yn dangos diddordeb mawr yn ein gwaith. Ymaelododd sawl aelod newydd ac roedd llawer o ddiddordeb yng ngwaith cadwraeth ein gwirfoddolwyr. Ychydig o hwyl wrth addysgu: bu ein gweithgaredd casglu sbwriel wedi ei amseru’n boblogaidd iawn gyda phlant ac oedolion fel ei gilydd! Roedd yn gyfle gwych i ledaenu neges bositif am fynd i’r afael â sbwriel ac annog pobl i drefnu eu digwyddiadau codi sbwriel eu hunain.

historic and cultural heritage is poorly known - and that the vast majority of people are enthusiastic to find out more. Did you know that the Carneddau is home to a tree that is just 2cm tall when fully grown? Or that there are more than a hundred ancient cairns (piles of stone) on the peaks and ridges of the Carneddau? Some of the larger cairns are known to have been burial sites dating to around 4,000 years ago. The tree is dwarf willow, one of several species that grow as part of the very rare montane heath habitat, sadly found on just a few mountain summits today. Other arcticalpine type plant species, such as the iconic Snowdon lily, have survived on mountainous cliffs and steep scree slopes, where they are protected from grazing livestock and people. Changes to the way the mountains are farmed have seen dramatic declines in the number of people who work there. Many active graziers are now over 80 years old! Less than a quarter of farmers and land managers are under 50 and total numbers are decreasing. The effect of these trends is devastating: cultural associations, place-names, farming traditions and a way of life are being lost. Recording and sharing knowledge, memories and stories will ensure that communities and the wider public will know more about the history of the area. The project team A core team of six staff will be responsible for coordinating the different projects, with an emphasis on strengthening existing links with local communities and ensuring people are aware of opportunities to get involved. Specialists based in the partner organisations will also collaborate with project staff and volunteers to help deliver the programme of activities. If you would like to find out more about this exciting new scheme, please visit www.snowdonia.gov.wales/lookingafter/carneddau-partnership and sign up for regular updates. Emily La Trobe-Bateman Emily is an archaeologist who has worked in north-west Wales for almost 20 years and is currently researching Snowdonia's Early Fieldscapes at the University of Sheffield (elatrobe-bateman1@sheffield.ac.uk). She helped with the preparation of the funding application and co-authored the Carneddau Landscape Conservation Action Plan (with John G Roberts, Snowdonia National Park Archaeologist who was the Project Manager for the Carneddau Scheme’s development phase).

The Snowdonia Society team attended the 2019 National Eisteddfod at Llanrwst. It was great to meet and talk to so many people who showed a keen interest in our work. We gained new members and there was a lot of interest in the conservation work carried out by our volunteers. A bit of fun whilst educating: our timed litter pick activity proved popular with children and adults alike! It was a great opportunity to spread a positive message about tackling litter and encourage people to organise their own local litter pick events.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 19

Yn Gryno -

y diweddaraf a gwybodaeth leol

John Harold

Yr Elen © John G Roberts

Gwobr 'Gwasanaeth Eithriadol' i Brian a Fran Mae Brian a Fran Cope wedi bod yn rhan gyfarwydd o gadwraeth ymarferol ledled Eryri ers blynyddoedd lawer, yn ogystal â helpu gyda phob math o waith yn Nhŷ Hyll. Roedd Brian a Fran yno ar gychwyn y project deng-mlynedd llwyddiannus i ddod â jac-y-neidiwr o dan reolaeth ar lan Llyn Tegid, Y Bala, mewn partneriaeth ag Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri. Rhoddwyd cydnabyddiaeth i ymrwymiad eithriadol a thymor hir y ddau wirfoddolwr yma o Lanrwst pan cafodd y ddau eu gwobrwyo ag Aelodaeth Oes o Gymdeithas Eryri. Mae pobl fel Brian a Fran yn gwneud gwahaniaeth enfawr i’r Gymdeithas ac i’r gwaith o warchod Eryri. Swyddog Cadwraeth newydd Rydym hefyd yn hynod o falch o gyflwyno Swyddog Cadwraeth newydd Cymdeithas Eryri, Mary Williams. Mae Mary yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â Dan a Mary-Kate i wireddu ein rhaglen wirfoddoli a hyfforddiant. Mae cyfleoedd lu i gyfarfod Mary a Dan – ewch i’n gwefan i weld pa weithgareddau sydd ar y gweill ledled Eryri ac yn Nhŷ Hyll. Cofiwch arwyddo ar gyfer y rhai sy’n apelio atoch er mwyn dod draw i wneud eich rhan! Diolch, Owain! Mae ein swyddog cadwraeth Owain Thomas yn symud ymlaen wedi dros 5 mlynedd o arwain gweithgareddau i wirfoddolwyr ledled Eryri. Yn drefnus, cyfeillgar a rhadlon bob amser, mae gan Owain wybodaeth a phrofiad eang o waith ymarferol mewn

20 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

partneriaeth. Mae ei ddull trylwyr wedi bod yn un o’r ffactorau allweddol sydd wedi galluogi i waith cadwraeth a hyfforddiant medrau Cymdeithas Eryri ddatblygu a ffynnu. Gyda diolch didwyll a dymuniadau gorau ynddo yn ei swydd newydd gyda Thrafnidiaeth dros Gymru: dymunwn bob lwc, Owain! Llysgenhadon dros Yr Wyddfa Mae Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri yn datblygu menter i helpu busnesau ddatblygu eu rôl fel ‘llysgenhadon twristiaeth’ gwella profiad ymwelwyr ac, yn fwy uniongyrchol, cefnogi gwaith cyrff sy’n gwarchod rhan brysuraf y Parc Cenedlaethol. Bydd hyfforddiant ac adnoddau’n helpu busnesau i rannu’r wybodaeth hanfodol er mwyn i ymwelwyr wneud yn fawr o’u hamser yma, deall sut mae eu gweithrediadau yn effeithio ar Eryri, a helpu i wneud gwahaniaeth positif. Mae’r Gymdeithas yn helpu’r fenter werth chweil hon – gwyliwch y gofod yma . Menter masnachol Derbyniwyd y newydd pryderus bod cynnig i godi uned dofednod (cynhyrchu wyau) cyntaf Eryri ar raddfa fawr ger Llanegryn wedi cael caniatâd cynllunio Yr hyn oedd yn peri mwy fyth o bryder oedd penderfyniad Gweinidog Llywodraeth Cymru nad oedd angen Asesiad Effaith Amgylcheddol ar ddatblygiad o’r fath, hyd yn oed mewn Parc Cenedlaethol. O ganlyniad i ymholiadau’r Gymdeithas, craffwyd eto ar y cais cynllunio, a mynegodd ein Cyfarwyddwr yn y wasg ei wrthwynebiad i ddatblygiadau fel hyn ar raddfa-ffatri, ac amlygu’r risg o danseilio ‘brand’ y Parc

Llythyr gan aelod Cenedlaethol a’r ffermio mewnbwn-isel traddodiadol sydd wedi llunio llawer o’r Eryri sy’n hoff gennym. Yn y pen draw, fodd bynnag, gweithredu yn y tymor byr a enillodd y dydd. Ôl-nodyn: Gwell hwyr na hwyrach - mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi llunio grŵp yn ddiweddar i edrych ar y materion yn ymwneud â chynllunio a amlygwyd gan y math yma o uned gynhyrchu ddwys. Datguddio treftadaeth gudd Rydym yn falch iawn o glywed bod Project Tirlun y Carneddau wedi derbyn nawdd sylweddol gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol – gweler yr erthygl mewn man arall yn y rhifyn hwn. Mae’r Gymdeithas wedi gweithio’n ddygn fel rhan o’r bartneriaeth hon i roi cyfnod datblygu’r project hwn ar waith. Rydym bellach yn edrych ymlaen at helpu i wireddu’r project yn ymarferol. Y ffordd ymlaen Mae sawl barn am y cynlluniau ar gyfer y ffordd osgoi i bentref Llanbedr. Fel mater lleol mae wedi rhannu’r farn yn lleol – mae barn y sawl sy’n dymuno gweld diwedd ar geir sy’n methu mynd heibio’i gilydd dros bont y pentref yn wahanol i farn y rhai sy’n credu y byddai ffordd osgoi’n golygu tranc busnesau lleol. Datblygodd y syniad am ffordd osgoi fwyfwy pan benderfynodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud yn fater cenedlaethol yn hytrach na lleol, a’i gydnabod fel rhan allweddol o’i gynlluniau rhyng-alaethol am borthofod yn y Parth Menter. Mae’r Parth Menter hwn yn adnabyddus am lyncu nawdd y Llywodraeth. Rhoddwyd caniatâd cynllunio ar gyfer y ffordd osgoi, ond fe’i wrthodwyd yn y llys pan ddaeth hi’n amlwg nad oedd ei effeithiau wedi eu hasesu’n briodol. Rydym yn disgwyl cais cynllunio newydd yn yr hydref, a byddwn yn ei archwilio’n fanwl. Project sbwriel Rydym yn datblygu project i fynd i’r afael â sbwriel yn ardal Yr Wyddfa. Bydd y project yn cynnwys ymgyrch o weithredu ymarferol ynghyd â chyhoeddusrwydd a gwaith i newid ymddygiad. Dyma ran o’n hymrwymiad fel aelod o Bartneriaeth Eryri, gan gydweithio gyda chyrff eraill i ateb yr heriau yn y man prysur hwn, edrych ar ôl ei rinweddau arbennig a sicrhau bod pawb yn cael ‘profiad arbennig o’r Wyddfa’. Cymorth gydag arolygon adar yr ucheldir Mae gwirfoddolwyr Ymddiriedolaeth Adareg Prydain yn rhoi’r Arolwg Adar sy’n Nythu ar waith; dau ymweliad y flwyddyn â sgwâr 1km, a chyfrif yr holl adar a welir ac a glywir. Ar sgwariau’r ucheldir, efallai bod cerddwyr mynydd yn gyfarwydd â’r ystod o adar, er enghraifft, y dryw, corhedydd y waun, tinwen y garn, cigfran a bwncath. Mae angen arolygwyr ar y sgwariau 1km yma: SH6750 Yr Arddu, SH7362 Creigiau Gleision, a SH6555 Bwlch Llanberis. Cysylltwch os oes gennych ddiddordeb. Darperir hyfforddiant. Geoff Gibbs, Trefnydd y BTO: geoffgibbs058@gmail.com 01248 681936 John Harold yw Cyfarwyddwr Cymdeithas Eryri

Member letter The editorial for the Spring 2019 magazine began by saying -'We've brought together a range of perspectives, so you are unlikely to agree with all that our contributors say'. It is little surprise therefore, that some members took up that implicit invitation! One article in particular roused a response, so we thought it worth putting a different perspective in print. Dear Editorial team, It is with some considerable sadness that I read the article ‘The Future of Adventure in Snowdonia’ about the expansion of commercialised and commoditised adventure. I think it is paramount that what this means is understood. In my experience, having worked for very large corporates for many years, it means one thing and one thing only, profit at any cost. Martin Chester asks whether commercial developments around the fringes of the Park are the thin edge of the wedge. Yes they are. The pursuit of profit has no integrity and no respect for preservation and conservation. Martin goes on to ask whether increased pressure to commercialise and commoditise the heart of the National Park would be so much of a problem, as 'adventure tourists probably have less environmental impact in that old quarry than I do when I go walking or biking in the mountains' This may be true within that area, but with the development of ‘concierge guiding services’ into the entire National Park, I have little doubt there will be side effects and/or unintended consequences. The growth of tourism over the past 6 years has had a very visible and degrading impact on the environment already. We need to be clear about the lobbying power that commercial enterprises have on Government and the regulators, who will usually take the line of least resistance. Reductions in funding of public authorities over the years, the creation of Natural Resources Wales, and the pressures to exploit the National Park for jobs and revenue are already taking their toll, and this is compounded by impacts from the growth of tourism. The opportunity to gain leverage from the economic expansionism underway provides a dangerous exploitable opportunity. One further point which Martin makes concerns relevance to a modern audience, I would say in a time when we clearly see the global impact of commercial opportunism; the degradation of the physical world, the world’s oceans, the loss of animals, birdlife and insects, and of course climate change, should we not be preserving what little we have left, to enable future generations to understand and experience what a wild place is? If anything is relevant today, preservation and conservation is. My last thought on this are the words of Nan Shepherd from her book ‘The Living Mountain’: “The inaccessibility of this loch is part of its power. Silence belongs to it. If jeeps find it out, or a funicular railway disfigures it, part of its meaning will be gone. The good of the greatest number is not here relevant. It is necessary to be sometimes exclusive, not on behalf of rank or wealth, but of those human qualities that can apprehend loneliness.” Yours sincerely Chris Simpson

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 21

Short Cuts -

updates and local knowledge

John Harold Exceptional service award for Brian and Fran Brian and Fran Cope have been a familiar part of practical conservation across Snowdonia over many years, in addition to helping with all kinds of work at Tŷ Hyll. Brian and Fran were there at the start of the successful ten-year project to bring Himalayan balsam under control at Llyn Tegid, Bala, in partnership with the National Park Authority. The exceptional long-term dedication of these two volunteers from Llanrwst has been recognised by awarding them Life Membership of the Snowdonia Society. People like Brian and Fran make an enormous difference to the Society and to the work of looking after Snowdonia. New Conservation Officer We’re also delighted to introduce the Snowdonia Society’s new Conservation Officer Mary Williams. Mary works alongside Dan and Mary-Kate to deliver our volunteering and training programme. There are lots of opportunities to meet Mary and Dan - check the website for upcoming activities across Snowdonia and at Tŷ Hyll. Just sign up for the ones you like the look of and get out there to do your bit! Thank you Owain! Our conservation officer Owain Thomas is moving on after more than 5 years leading our volunteer activities throughout

Snowdonia. Always organised, friendly and level-headed, Owain has a huge wealth of experience of practical work in partnership. His steady approach has been one of the key factors which have allowed the Society’s conservation and skills training work to grow and flourish. With heartfelt thanks and best wishes for his new post with Transport for Wales; pob lwc, Owain! Ambassadors for Snowdon Snowdonia National Park Authority is developing an initiative to help businesses develop their role as ‘tourism ambassadors’ - enhancing the visitor experience and more directly supporting the work of organisations which look after the busiest part of the National Park. Training and resources will help businesses pass on the information that visitors need to get the best out of their time here, understand how their actions can affect Snowdon, and help make a positive difference. The Society is supporting this worthwhile initiative – watch this space. Chickened out We have received disturbing news that a proposal to build Snowdonia’s first large-scale intensive poultry (egg production) unit near Llanegryn has been granted planning permission. Most worrying was the Welsh Government Minister’s determination that such a development, even in a National Park, did not need Environmental Impact Assessment. The Society’s interventions Cymdeithas Eryri: gwneud yr hyn yr ydym ni i fod i’w wneud ● Snowdonia Society : doing what it says on the tin

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triggered closer scrutiny of the planning application, and our Director made the case in the media against such factorystyle developments, highlighting the risks of undermining both the National Park ‘brand’ and the traditional low-input farming that has shaped much of the Snowdonia we love. In the end, however, short-termism has triumphed. Postscript: better late than never, Welsh Government has recently convened a group to look at the planning issues raised by this kind of intensive production unit. Unlocking hidden heritage We are delighted that the Carneddau Landscape Partnership project has been allocated significant funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – see the article elsewhere in this issue. The Society has worked hard as part of this partnership to get the project’s development stage over the line. Now we’re looking forward to helping deliver the project on the ground. Paved with good intentions

Dweud diolch – wrth aelod hoff o’r teulu a harddwch Eryri Yn gynharach y mis hwn derbyniodd Gymdeithas Eryri gyfraniad hael oddi wrth yr aelod tymor hir Richard Bridges er cof am ei fodryb hoff Marie (llun isod) a fu farw y llynedd. Ymunodd Richard â Chrwydro’r Carneddau y Gymdeithas ym mis Ebrill a soniodd wrth y Swyddog Ymgysylltu Claire fod ei rodd yn gydnabyddiaeth o harddwch Eryri ac er cof am Marie, gan fod “ei phersonoliaeth hyfryd, cartref ger y môr a bwyd cartref blasus wedi arwain at lawer o atgofion plentyndod hapus. Roedd ganddi ddiddordeb mawr yn fy holl weithgareddau, yn cynnwys fy nghariad tuag at fyd natur a’r awyr agored.” Yn aelod o Gymdeithas Eryri ers dros 30 mlynedd, mae Richard yn cofio amryw o deithiau dringo i’r Parc Cenedlaethol yn ystod ei gyfnod ym Mhrifysgol Warwick. “Roeddem yn teithio mor rheolaidd i Eryri fel ein bod yn adnabod pob troad yn ffordd yr A5!” Mae Cymdeithas Eryri yn hynod o ddiolchgar i Richard am ei gyfraniad hael er cof am ei fodryb, ac am ei ymrwymiad i’r Parc Cenedlaethol sy’n golygu cymaint iddo.

Plans for a bypass for Llanbedr have a chequered history. As a local issue it divides local opinion – those who want an end to high-season traffic jams at the pinchpoint in the village see it differently from those who fear that a bypass will kill local businesses. Bypass plans gained traction when Welsh Government elevated it from a local to a national issue, identifying it as key to their intergalactic plans for a spaceport in the Enterprise Zone. The Enterprise Zone is notorious in its own right as a black hole for government funding. Planning permission was granted for the bypass, only to be quashed in court when it became clear that its impacts had not been properly assessed. We expect a new planning application in the autumn, which we will scrutinise carefully. Litter project We’re developing a project to tackle litter in the Snowdon area. The project will include a campaign of practical action combined with publicity and behaviour change work. This is part of our commitment as a member of the Snowdon Partnership, working together with other organisations to meet the challenges in this busy hotspot, look after its special qualities and make the ‘Snowdon experience’ the best it can be. Help with upland bird surveys British Trust for Ornithology volunteers carry out the Breeding Bird Survey; two visits per year to a 1km square, counting all birds seen or heard. In upland squares, hillwalkers may be familiar with the range of birds: eg wren, meadow pipit, wheatear, raven and buzzard. These 1km squares need an observer: SH6750 Yr Arddu, SH7362 Creigiau Gleision, and SH6555 Llanberis Pass. Do get in touch if you’re interested. Training will be provided. Geoff Gibbs BTO Organiser: geoffgibbs058@gmail.com 01248 681936 John Harold is the Director of the Snowdonia Society

Saying thank you – to a treasured family member and to the beauty of Snowdonia Earlier this month the Snowdonia Society received a generous donation from long-standing member Richard Bridges in memory of his beloved Auntie Marie (pictured above) who passed away last year. Richard joined the Society’s Carneddau Scramble in April and told Engagement Officer Claire that his donation is a nod to the beauty of Snowdonia and in memory of Marie, “whose warm personality, house by the sea and lovely home cooking led to many happy childhood memories. She took an interest in and supported me in all my doings, including my love of nature and the outdoors”. Richard has been a member of the Snowdonia Society for over 30 years and recalls countless climbing trips to the National Park during his time at Warwick University: “So frequent were our visits to Snowdonia that we knew every bend of the A5!” The Snowdonia Society is very grateful to Richard for the generous donation made in memory of his aunt, and for his commitment to the National Park he loves.

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 23

Digwyddiadau

Digwyddiadau i bawb Bwrw trem yn ôl, ac ymlaen, drwy gyfrwng digwyddiadau’r Gymdeithas

Taith Chwedlonol Gorffennaf 2019

Arweiniodd Eric Maddern daith chwedlonol i Ddinas Emrys, lle, yn ôl y chwedl, y claddwyd dreigiau swnllyd. Yn y pumed ganrif dygwyd y Myrddin ifanc yno i’w aberthu ond yn hytrach, gollyngodd Myrddin y dreigiau yn rhydd a datganodd broffwydoliaeth anfarwol…

Diwrnod Byd Natur gydag Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan Mehefin 2019

Ymunodd disgyblion a staff ysgol gynradd Ysbyty Ifan â’n Swyddog Ymgysylltu Claire am sesiwn o archwilio coedlan Tŷ Hyll. Roedd y plant wrth eu boddau’n dysgu am hanes Tŷ Hyll a rhoi cynnig ar rwydo’r pwll am y tro cyntaf.

Ar y gweill: Digwyddiad Nadolig i gyfarfod y Gymdeithas

Pryd: Dydd Iau 12 Rhagfyr 2019, rhwng 4-7yh Lle: Capel Dinorwig, Gwynedd

Gweithdy darlunio’r tirlun gyda Tessa Lyons

Pryd: Dydd Sadwrn 1 Chwefror 2020, 2-4yp Lle: Tŷ Hyll, Betws-y-coed

Sgrambl glasurol ar yr Wyddfa Pryd: 15 Mai 2020, 9yb-4yp Lle: Crib Goch, Yr Wyddfa

Ymaelodwch â ni

Mae ychydig yn mynd ymhell... Hoffai Cymdeithas Eryri ddiolch i’r sawl sy’n mynychu ein teithiau, sgyrsiau a gweithdai drwy gydol y flwyddyn. Mae’r cyfraniadau a geir ym mhob digwyddiad yn ein galluogi i barhau â’n gwaith o warchod harddwch y Parc Cenedlaethol drwy gyfrwng cadwraeth ymarferol, addysg ac ymgyrchoedd. Am restr gyflawn o’r digwyddiadau sydd ar y gweill ewch i gael cipolwg ar ein Calendr Digwyddiadau neu galwch heibio’n gwefan. I gofrestru ar gyfer digwyddiad ebostiwch: claire@snowdonia-society.org.uk

Os ydych chi’n byw, yn gweithio neu’n treulio eich oriau hamdden yn Eryri ac yn dymuno helpu i warchod ein treftadaeth naturiol a diwylliannol rhyfeddol yna gwnewch eich rhan drwy ymaelodi â Chymdeithas Eryri heddiw: www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/cy/join

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events

Events for all Looking back, and forward, across our Society’s events

A Legendary Walk July 2019 Storyteller Eric Maddern (pictured right) led a mythological walk to Dinas Emrys, where, according to legend, troublesome dragons were buried. In the fifth century the young Merlin was brought there to be sacrificed but instead he released the dragons and uttered an immortal prophecy…

Nature Day with Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan June 2019

Pupils and staff from Ysbyty Ifan primary school joined our Engagement Officer Claire for a session exploring the woods at Tŷ Hyll. The children were delighted to learn about the history of Tŷ Hyll and to have their first go at pond dipping.

Coming up: Meet the Society Christmas get together

When: Thursday 12 December 2019, 4-7pm Where: Capel Dinorwig, Gwynedd

Landscape drawing workshop with Tessa Lyons When: Saturday 1 February 2020, 2-4pm Where: Tŷ Hyll, Betws-y-coed

A classic Snowdon scramble

When: 15 May 2020, 9am-4pm Where: Crib Goch, Snowdon

A little goes a long way... The Snowdonia Society would like to thank those who attend our walks, talks and workshops through the year. Donations received at each event allow us to continue our work protecting the beauty of the National Park through practical conservation, education and campaigns. For a complete list of our upcoming events have a look at our printed Events Calendar or visit our website. To register for an event email: claire@snowdonia-society.org.uk

Join us

If you live, work or play in Snowdonia and want to help protect our magnificent natural and cultural heritage then do your bit and join the Snowdonia Society today: www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/join

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 25

Newyddion

Adolygiad o'r flwyddyn 2018-19 David Archer Prif safle’r DU i bobl sy’n hoff o adrenalin – dyma eiriau a ddefnyddir yn aml i ddisgrifio Eryri. Mae ambell un yn arswydo, eraill yn cymeradwyo. Mae weiars zip a lagwnau ewyn ar y cyrion, beicio mynydd eithafol a chyfleoedd caiacio a thwf mewn digwyddiadau mynydd yn y Parc Cenedlaethol i gyd yn cyfrannu at y darlun newydd yma o’r Parc Cenedlaethol traddodiadol. Mae mwy a mwy o bobl, ar droed ac ar drên, yn cyrraedd copa’r Wyddfa, mynydd mwyaf poblogaidd gwledydd Prydain erbyn hyn. Ond, ar adeg pan mae Llywodraeth Cymru’n hyrwyddo gogledd Cymru fel y man ar gyfer ‘antur gorau’r byd’ a ‘phrofiadau epig’, mae eu cyfraniad ariannol i Barc Cenedlaethol Eryri yn lleihau. Mae hyn yn golygu llai o adnoddau ar gyfer gwarchod a gwella’r tirlun a bywyd gwyllt, ac ar gyfer rheoli llwybrau troed a darparu cludiant cyhoeddus hanfodol. Rydym fel Cymdeithas ar hyn o bryd yn adolygu ein cynllun busnes a’n blaenoriaethau er mwyn ystyried y pwysau newidiol a’r gofynion ar y Parc Cenedlaethol a’i rinweddau arbennig. Mae angen ail-ddiffinio rôl a gweithrediadau’r Gymdeithas, a chyrff trydydd-sector eraill, er mwyn gwarchod Eryri. Mae’r Parc Cenedlaethol yn fyw na man chwarae ar gyfer hamdden; mae’n lle ar gyfer mwynhad tawel ac i ddathlu’r dreftadaeth ddiwylliannol a bioamrywiaeth unigryw, ac yn gartref i rhyw 25,000 o bobl. Yn ystod y flwyddyn, mae’r Cyfarwyddwr a’i staff wedi bod yn cymryd rhan ymarferol mewn cyfrannu at baratoi a gwireddu Cynllun Partneriaeth Yr Wyddfa ac yn yr ymgynghoriad ar Gynllun Eryri, y Cynllun Rheoli drafft ar gyfer Eryri. Rhoddodd y Cyfarwyddwr dystiolaeth hefyd yng ngwrandawiad Cynllun Datblygu Lleol Eryri; mabwysiadwyd y Cynllun Lleol (2016-2031) ym mis Chwefror 2019. Rydym yn parhau i gydweithio’n agos gydag Awdurdod y Parc Cenedlaethol ar ein gwaith cadwraeth. Eleni rydym wedi ailfrandio ein rhaglen waith i wirfoddolwyr o dan yr enw Dwylo

Diwyd. Yn y 12 mis diwethaf cynhaliwyd dros 120 o ddyddiau gwaith a chyfleoedd hyfforddi gyda’r gwirfoddolwyr yn gweithio cyfanswm o 4219 awr. Cafodd y rhaglen Medrau Cadwraeth Ymarferol canmoladwy ei hymestyn i gynnwys uned cynnal llwybrau; llwyddodd 41 o bobl i gwblhau hyfforddiant achrededig yn ystod y flwyddyn. Rhoddwyd cydnabyddiaeth i hyd a lled rhaglen waith ymarferol y Gymdeithas gyda gwobr yng Ngwobrau Gwarchodwyr y Parciau Cenedlaethol ym mis Hydref 2018. Roedd y Gymdeithas yn gyfrannwr allweddol i baratoad cais llwyddiannus i Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol am broject 5-mlynedd i gofnodi, dathlu a gofalu am y Carneddau. Rhoddwyd ariannu o £1.17m, tuag at broject sydd werth cyfanswm o £4m, i Bartneriaeth Tirlun y Carneddau ym mis Mehefin 2019. Bydd y Gymdeithas yn helpu i reoli rhannau o’r rhaglen wirfoddolwyr er mwyn gwireddu’r project, a roir ar waith yn gynnar yn 2020. Mae’r Gymdeithas wedi bod yn brysur gyda monitro ac ymateb i geisiadau cynllunio. Yn benodol gwrthwynebwyd cynllun ynni dŵr Cwm Cynfal a fferm ddofednod Llanegryn. Roeddem yn falch o glywed bod y cais cynllun dŵr hynod o ymwthiol wedi ei wrthod ond roeddem wedi dychryn pan gymeradwywyd yr uned 32,000 o adar yn wyneb llawer o wrthwynebiad lleol. Mae’r adeilad hwn, sy’n 430 troedfedd o hyd ac mewn cefn gwlad agored, yn gosod cynsail sy’n peri pryder a byddwn yn ymgyrchu i rwystro datblygiad unedau dofednod dwys ar raddfa eang yn Eryri. Rydym yn cadw golwg agos ar gynigion i greu ffordd newydd gerllaw Llanbedr, i’r de o Harlech. Penderfynwyd i ddileu cymeradwyaeth y cais gwreiddiol ym mis Medi 2018 yn dilyn cais am Adolygiad Barnwrol, a gosodir cais wedi ei adolygu gerbron y Pwyllgor Cynllunio cyn bo hir. Roedd yn amlwg bod brys Llywodraeth Cymru i ruthro’r cais gwreiddiol drwy’r system, a darparu ariannu ar gyfer y ffordd, ar gyfer cefnogi ei ymdrechion

Nwyddau Galwch heibio ein siop i weld ein hystod o nwyddau: capiau, calendr, cardiau cyfarch a hadau. Bydd yr arian a gesglir yn mynd tuag at ein gwaith parhaol yn Eryri.

Merchandise Visit our shop for a range of merchandise: caps, calendar, greeting cards and seeds. Money raised will go towards our continued work in Snowdonia.

26 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/shop

News

i ddenu ‘porth ofod y DU’ i faes awyr Llanbedr. Ers hynny, mae datblygiad y porth ofod wedi ei neilltuo i Sutherland yn Yr Alban. Byddwn yn archwilio’r cais newydd yn fanwl pan fydd ar gael. Yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf cynhaliwyd rhaglen hynod brysur gyda 45 o ddigwyddiadau amrywiol yn denu dros 800 o fynychwyr, rhai’n aelodau ac eraill heb ymaelodi. O ganlyniad i deithiau a sgyrsiau, gweithdai a mynychu neu gymryd rhan mewn ffeiriau a digwyddiadau hamdden recriwtiwyd 49 o aelodau newydd a chafwyd cyfraniadau o dros £2,200. Cynhaliwyd ail Benwythnos Mentro a Dathlu yn cynnig ystod o brojectau cadwraeth i 80 o wirfoddolwyr. Heriodd un grŵp o wirfoddolwyr brwdfrydig, yn cynnwys myfyrwyr Cefn Gwlad a Rheolaeth Tir o Brifysgol Bangor, law trwm i helpu i ail-wlychu cynefin mawndir gwerthfawr ger Beddgelert; roedden nhw wedi gwlychu at eu crwyn! Mae Tŷ Hyll yn parhau i ddenu dros 40,000 o ymwelwyr y flwyddyn ac mae gweithdai i wirfoddolwyr yn helpu i edrych ar ôl yr ardd fywyd gwyllt a’r coedlannau. Rydym wedi bod yn ddiolchgar ers blynyddoedd i Margaret Thomas, Ymddiriedolwr y Gymdeithas, am arolygu rheolaeth a gofal Tŷ Hyll. Bellach mae ymrwymiadau eraill yn golygu bod Margaret yn rhoi’r gorau iddi ac rydym yn gwneud trefniadau newydd i edrych ar ôl y lleoliad a’r adnodd pwysig hyfryd hwn er mwyn gwneud yn fawr ohono.

polisïau a’r gwerthoedd perthnasol ar ein gwefan. Mae dau o’r Ymddiriedolwyr, Gareth Roberts a Sarah McCarthy, wedi ymddeol; diolchwn iddyn nhw am eu cyfraniad gwerthfawr ac ymroddedig. Penodwyd dau Ymddiriedolwr newydd, Julian Pitt a Jane Parry-Evans, y ddau’n berchen ar fedrau a phrofiad allweddol, yn y CBC diwethaf ac mae’r Gymdeithas wedi bod yn ffodus iawn i ddenu Ymddiriedolwr ‘ymgeisiol’, Sue Beaumont. Gyda thristwch y cofnodwn farwolaeth Warren Martin MBE, cyn Is-lywydd y Gymdeithas. Yn warchodwr huawdl o Eryri a’i hamgylchedd, bydd bwlch mawr ar ei ôl. Mae hanes ei fywyd yn ymddangos ar tudalen 31. Mae Owain Thomas yn gadael ar ôl 5 mlynedd gyda’r Gymdeithas. Mae Owain wedi chwarae rhan allweddol mewn helpu i ddatblygu tîm cadwraeth y Gymdeithas a datblygu ein rhaglen i wirfoddolwyr, ac wedi hyfforddi ac ennyn brwdfrydedd gwirfoddolwyr o bob maes. Dymunwn y gorau iddo yn ei yrfa newydd. Ar ran yr Ymddiriedolwyr, hoffwn ddiolch i bob un o’n staff am eu gwaith clodwiw drwy gydol y flwyddyn. David Archer, Cadeirydd Cymdeithas Eryri

Mae aelodaeth y Gymdeithas yn parhau i fod yn iach gyda chynnydd net o rhyw 20 o aelodau newydd dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Fodd bynnag, yn wyneb costau craidd cynyddol, mae Ymddiriedolwyr y Gymdeithas wedi adolygu’r taliadau aelodaeth. Fe’i cynyddwyd am y tro diwethaf yn 2015, a theimlir ei fod yn angenrheidiol i godi taliadau i £30 i unigolion a £42 am aelodau ar y cyd o Ebrill 2020. Yn ystod y flwyddyn mae’r Ymddiriedolwyr wedi mabwysiadu polisïau preifatrwydd a gwarchod newydd ac wedi ail-ddiffinio’r rhestr o werthoedd a fydd ym mherchnogaeth staff ac ymddiriedolwyr a fydd yn llywio eu gwaith. Cyhoeddir y

Calendr 2020 Calendar Enillwyr ein cystadleuaeth ffotograffiaeth Ar werth ar-lein ac yn y CCB

• Winners of our photography competition For sale online and at the AGM

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 27

Newyddion

Review of the year 2018-19 David Archer UK’s adrenaline junkie capital - these are words now often used to describe Snowdonia. Some people shudder, others applaud. Zip wires and surf lagoons on the periphery, extreme mountain biking and kayaking opportunities and a proliferation of endurance events in the National Park all contribute to the new image of this once traditional National Park. More and more people, by foot and by train, arrive at the top of Snowdon now the most popular massif in Britain. But, at a time when the Welsh Government is promoting North Wales as the place for ‘world-first adventure’ and ‘epic experiences’, their funding of the National Park Authority is diminishing in real terms. Less resources for protecting and enhancing the landscape and wildlife, and for managing footpaths and providing essential public transport. The Society is currently reviewing our business plan and priorities to take account of the changing pressures and demands on the National Park and its special qualities. The role and actions of the Society, and other third-sector organisations, to safeguard Snowdonia needs to be refocused. The National Park is much more than a recreational playground; it is a place, essentially, for quiet enjoyment, of unique cultural heritage and biodiversity, and home for some 25,000 people. During the year, the Director and his staff have been actively involved in contributing to the preparation and delivery of the Snowdon Partnership Plan and in the consultation on Cynllun Eryri, the draft Management Plan for Snowdonia. The Director gave evidence also to the Eryri Local Development Plan hearing; the revised Local Plan (2016-2031) was adopted in February 2019. And we continue to work closely with the National Park Authority on our conservation work. This year we have rebranded our volunteer work programme as Helping Hands/Dwylo Diwyd. In the last 12 months over 120 workdays and training opportunities have been run with volunteers clocking up a total of 4219 hours. The acclaimed accredited Practical Conservation Skills programme has been extended to include a footpath maintenance unit; 41 people completed accredited training in the course of the year. The quality and extent of the Society’s practical work programme was recognized by an award at the Campaign for National Parks’ Park Protector Awards in October 2018. The Society has been a key contributor to the preparation of a

successful bid to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for a 5 year project to record, care for and celebrate the Carneddau. Funding of £1.7m, towards a project worth £4m in total, was awarded to the Carneddau Landscape Partnership, led by the National Park Authority, in June 2019. The Society will help manage parts of the volunteer programme to deliver the project, due to start early in 2020. The Society has been active in monitoring and responding to planning applications. In particular we objected to the Cwm Cynfal hydro scheme and the Llanegryn poultry farm. We were relieved that the very intrusive hydro scheme was thrown out but dismayed when the 32,000 bird unit was approved in the face of much local opposition. This building, 430 feet long in open countryside sets a worrying precedent and we will campaign to stop the proliferation of large-scale intensive poultry units in Snowdonia. We are keeping a close watch on proposals to construct a new road close to Llanbedr, near Harlech. The approval of the original application in September 2018 was quashed following an application for a Judicial Review, and a revised submission will be put to the Planning Committee in due course. It was apparent that the Welsh Government’s haste to push the original application through, and provide funding for the road, was to support its efforts to attract the ‘UK spaceport’ to Llanbedr airfield. The spaceport development has since been awarded to Sutherland in Scotland. We will scrutinise the new application when it emerges. This last year has seen a very active events programme with 45 varied events attracting over 800 participants, both members and non-members. Walks and talks, workshops and attendance/ participation in fairs and sporting events led to the recruitment of 49 new members and donations of more than £2,200. Of note was the second MaD (Make a Difference) weekend offering a range of conservation projects to 80 volunteers. One group of enthusiastic volunteers, including Countryside and Land Management students from Bangor University, braved torrential rain to help re-wet precious peatland habitat near Beddgelert; they got phenomenally wet! Tŷ Hyll, the Ugly House, continues to attract over 40,000 visitors a year with volunteer workdays helping to look after the wildlife

gadewch cymynrodd i eryri

Leave a Legacy to snowdonia

Mae rhoddion o ewyllysiau yn rhan hanfodol o'n hincwm, ac mae ymynroddion mawr neu bychan yn gwneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i'r hyn gallwn ei gyflawni. Os byddwch yn ysgrifennu eich ewyllys, wedi i chi gofio eich teulu a'ch ffrindiau, ystyriwch adael cymynrodd i Gymdeithas Eryri os gwelwch yn dda.

Gifts in wills form a crucial part of our income, and legacies large or small, make a real difference to what we can achieve. If you are writing your will, once you have remembered family and friends, please consider leaving a bequest to the Snowdonia Society.

 www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/cy/gadael-cymynrodd www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/leave-legacy 28 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

News

Ffarwelio• Saying goodbye garden and woodlands. We have been much indebted for many years to Margaret Thomas, a Society Trustee, for overseeing the management and care of Tŷ Hyll. Commitments elsewhere oblige Margaret to stand back and we are putting new arrangements in place to look after and make best use of this charismatic place and important resource. Membership of the Society continues to look healthy with a net increase of some 20 new members over the last year. However, faced with increasing core costs, Society Trustees have reviewed the membership fees. Last increased in 2015, it is considered necessary to raise fees to £30 for individual and £42 for joint membership from April 2020. During the year Trustees have adopted new privacy and safeguarding policies and redefined the set of values that Trustees and staff will own and work by. The relevant policies and values are published on our website.

Dave Woods Gyda thristwch y clywodd Cymdeithas Eryri am farwolaeth Dave Woods ar 17 Mai 2019, yn 76 oed. Yn ogystal â bod yn ŵr, tad, brawd a thaid cariadus, roedd yn gerddwr a beiciwr brwd ac yn eiriolwr dros hawliau dynol. Roedd yn gyfaill da i Gymdeithas Eryri, yn aelod am oddeutu 30 mlynedd, yn ymgyrchu’n rheolaidd, a byddai’n dod ag achosion yr oedd angen i’r Gymdeithas ymateb iddyn nhw i’n sylw. Am flynyddoedd lawer bu’n rheolwr Hostel Ieuenctid y Snowdon Ranger a bu’n byw yn ei hoff Ryd-ddu am weddill ei oes. Bydd colled fawr ar ei ôl ymysg pawb oedd yn ei adnabod.

Two Trustees, Gareth Roberts and Sarah McCarthy, have retired; they are thanked for their valuable and committed contribution. Two new Trustees, Julian Pitt and Jane ParryEvans both bringing key skills and experience, were appointed at the last AGM and the Society has been fortunate in attracting a new ‘candidate’ Trustee, Sue Beaumont. We are sad to record the death of Warren Martin MBE, a previous Vice-President of the Society. A forthright guardian of Snowdonia and its environment, he will be sorely missed. An account of his life appears on page 31. Owain Thomas, our Helping Hands Project Officer, is leaving after 5 years with the Society. Owain has played a key part in helping to build the Society’s conservation team and developing our volunteer programme, training and enthusing volunteers from all walks of life. We wish him all the best in his new career. On behalf of all the Trustees, my thanks go to all our staff for their sterling work throughout the year. David Archer, Snowdonia Society Chair

Cyfrannwch... ar-lein yn www.cymdeithas-eryri.org.uk gyda siec, yn daladwy i 'Cymdeithas Eryri'

The Snowdonia Society was sad to learn of the death of Dave Woods on 17th May 2019, aged 76 years. As well as being a loving husband, dad, brother and ‘taid’, he was a keen walker, cyclist and advocate of human rights. He was a good friend of the Snowdonia Society, a member for around 30 years, and he regularly took up causes and alerted the Society to issues that needed our attention. He was for many years manager of the Snowdon Ranger Youth Hostel and remained in his beloved Rhyd-ddu for the rest of his life. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Donate... on-line at www.snowdonia-society.org.uk by cheque, payable to 'Snowdonia Society'

 Cymdeithas Eryri Snowdonia Society, Caban, Yr Hen Ysgol, Brynrefail, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 3NR  01286 685498  info@snowdonia-society.org.uk www.cymdeithas-eryri.org.uk • www.snowdonia-society.org.uk Elusen gofrestredig rhif • Registered charity no: 1155401

Protecting Protectingand andcelebrating celebratingSnowdonia Snowdoniafor forover over50 50years years | 29

aelodau busnes • business members

Aelodau busnes newydd • New business members Croeso i'n Haelodau Busnes newydd. Diolch enfawr am gefnogi gwaith Cymdeithas Eryri.

Welcome to our new Business Members. A huge thank you to them for supporting the work of the Snowdonia Society.

Os ydych yn gwybod am fusnes sy'n gweithredu ym Mharc Cenedlaethol Eryri neu'n agos ato, pam na wnewch chi awgrymu eu bod yn ymaelodi fel Aelodau Busnes? Cysylltwch â ni i ofyn am becyn Aelodaeth Fusnes neu ewch i'n gwefan i ddarganfod rhagor.

If you know a business that operates in or near the Snowdonia National Park, why not suggest they become Business Members? Contact us for a Business Membership pack or visit our website to find out more.

Ffisiotherapi Arfon

Arfon Physiotherapy

Darpariaeth Therapi a Cwnsela Niwrocyhurolsgerbydol/Gwasanaethau Ffisiotherapi. "Wedi penderfynu ei bod yn hen bryd rhoi rhywbeth yn ôl!" www.arfonphysiotherapy.co.uk

Provision of Neuromusculoskeletal Therapy and Counselling/Psychotherapy Services. "Felt it was time to give something back!" www.arfonphysiotherapy.co.uk

Karen Jones Arlunydd

Karen Jones Artist

Yn llunio peintiadau o dirlun Eryri ac ehangach. Yn ôl Karen, ymaelododd “Oherwydd mod i’n caru’r lle. Dyma fy man chwarae ac rydw i’n teimlo’n fyw pan dwi’n ei beintio!” www.karenjonesartist.com

Making landscape paintings of Snowdonia and more. Karen said the reason she joined was “Because I love the place. It’s my backyard and I feel free when I’m painting it!” www.karenjonesartist.com

Pant yr Onnen

Safle gwersylla ar lannau Llyn Tegid. Rydym yn rhoi ein projectau cadwraeth ein hunain ar waith ond yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd y Gymdeithas yn yr ardal ehangach. www.balacamping.co.uk

Campsite on the shores of Llyn Tegid. We undertake own conservation projects but recognise the importance of the Society in the larger area. www.balacamping.co.uk

Summit Fit

Yn ogystal â dillad a gynlluniwyd ac a ysbrydolwyd gan Eryri, rydym hefyd yn cynnal digwyddiadau a theithiau. Mae ardal Eryri’n golygu llawer i ni ac rydym am wneud cymaint â phosib i sicrhau ei bod yn cael ei chynnal a bod ymdrechion cadwraeth yn parhau. www.summitfit.co.uk

As well as clothing designed and inspired by Snowdonia, we also run events and expeditions. We are passionate about Snowdonia and want to do what we can to ensure it is maintained and that conservation efforts continue. www.summitfit.co.uk

Providero Ltd

Coffi rhost ffres o ffynonellau ethegol ac a fasnachir yn ethegol; dros 30 amrywiaeth o de rhydd. Siocled poeth artisan lleol. Dewis o ddiodydd meddal. Teisennau cartref blasus a wneir o gynhwysion lleol lle bod hynny’n bosibl. www.facebook.com/providero 01492 338220

Ethically sourced and traded freshly roasted coffees, over 30 varieties of loose leaf tea. Local artisan hot chocolate. Soft drink selection. Delicious homemade cakes using local ingredients where possible. www.facebook.com/providero 01492 338220

Solid Ground Outdoors

Dillad gyda neges neilltuol. Ein nod yw helpu i ysbrydoli eraill i ddefnyddio byd natur i wthio a gwella eu hunain boed hynny’n feddyliol neu’n gorfforol. Ein dymuniad yw rhoi’n ôl i’r amgylchedd drwy roi canran o elw i elusennau cadwraeth. www.solidgroundoutdoors.com

Clothing with a mindset. We aim to help inspire others to use our natural world to push and heal themselves whether that be mentally or physically. We want to give back to the environment by giving a percentage of profit of each order to conservation charities. www.solidgroundoutdoors.com

30 | Gwarchod a dathlu Eryri ers dros 50 mlynedd

Ffarwelio• Saying goodbye

Warren Martin Yn Llanfairfechan, ar gwr gogleddol Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, y bu Warren Martin yn byw am y rhan fwyaf o’i fywyd. Bu farw ar 31 Mai eleni yn 84 oed, a gellir dweud yn deg ei fod wedi ymroi ei fywyd i’r Parc.

Warren Martin, who died on 31st May this year aged 84, lived most of his life in Llanfairfechan on the northern edge of Snowdonia National Park and can fairly be said to have devoted his life to the Park.

Yn fachgen disglair, enillodd A bright lad, he won a ysgoloriaeth i ysgol uwchradd scholarship to Friars grammar Friars lle daeth yn awyddus school where he became keen i ymuno â’r fyddin, er mawr to join the army, much to his bryder i’w rieni. Yn dilyn dwy parents’ concern. Two years flynedd yn y Royal Artillery, in the Royal Artillery, including yn cynnwys gwasanaethu service at the tail-end of the ar ddiwedd Rhyfel Korea, Korean War, seems to have magodd flas at fyw dramor er given him a taste for life nad oedd yn or-hoff o fod yn overseas if not for the army y fyddin. Yn 1955 ymunodd itself as, in 1955, he joined Warren Martin (chwith) a John Harold yn y digwyddiad ‘Cyfarfod y Gymdeithas’ â heddlu’r trefedigaethau a ● Warren Martin (left) and John Harold at the 'Meet the Society' event. 2018 the colonial police and spent threuliodd y tair blynedd nesaf the next three years in Kenya. yn Kenya. Pan ddaeth adref Coming home on leave he met ar ei wyliau, cyfarfu â Mair, a fyddai’n dod yn wraig iddo, ac Mair, his wife-to-be, and joined the Civil Aviation Constabulary ymunodd â’r Heddlu Awyrennau Sifil ym maes awyr Heathrow, at Heathrow airport, a very different working environment. He amgylchedd gweithio gwahanol iawn. Priodwyd ef a Mair ym and Mair were married in 1959 and their daughter Lliwedd was 1959 a ganwyd eu merch Lliwedd flwyddyn yn ddiweddarach. born a year later. O ganlyniad i’r swyddi cynnar yma, magodd brofiad a dealltwriaeth o’r byd a fyddai’n ddefnyddiol iawn iddo pan ddychwelodd i ogledd Cymru yn 1962 ar ôl derbyn swydd Prif Warden adran gogleddol y Parc Cenedlaethol. Yn 1966 fe’i penodwyd yn warden i’r Cyngor Gwarchod Natur (CCG yn ddiweddarach a CNC erbyn hyn). Yn ôl y stori, cafodd bryd o dafod gan weithwyr hŷn y Cyngor am fynychu cyfarfod a drefnwyd gan Esme Kirby yn 1967 i sefydlu’r hyn a ddaeth yn Gymdeithas Eryri. Fodd bynnag, ni rwystrodd hyn ei benodiad yn Brif Warden yn 1971, swydd a gyflawnodd yn anrhydeddus hyd ei ymddeoliad yn 1995.

These early jobs gave him an experience of the world and a breadth of understanding which served him in good stead when he came back to north Wales in 1962 to take up the post of Head Warden for the northern section of the National Park. In 1966 he moved sideways becoming a warden for the Nature Conservancy Council (later CCW and now known as NRW). So the story goes, he was reprimanded by his superiors for attending a meeting called by Esme Kirby in 1967 to found what is now the Snowdonia Society. However, this did not prevent him becoming Chief Warden in 1971, a role he filled with distinction until his retirement in 1995.

Wedi ymddeol, yn hytrach na llaesu dwylo, ymrwymodd i wleidyddiaeth cadwraeth a daeth yn gyntaf yn ymddiriedolwr Cymdeithas Eryri, yna’n aelod enwebedig, neu annibynnol, o Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri. Yn y ddwy swydd hon roedd bob amser yn gwrtais ond doedd ganddo ddim ofn dweud ei ddweud na mynegi ei farn yn ddi-flewyn ar dafod. Gyda’r Gymdeithas, roedd yn ei elfen yn hyrwyddo a gweithredu fel beirniad y Wobr Tirlun a Ffermio, digwyddiad bob dwy flynedd a wnaeth lawer i greu cysylltiad rhwng y cymunedau cadwraeth a ffermio.

At this point, far from putting his feet up, he threw himself into conservation politics becoming first a trustee of the Snowdonia Society and then a nominated, or independent, member of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. In both these positions he was unfailingly courteous but never afraid to speak his mind and refreshingly able to call a spade a spade. With the Society he was in his element promoting and acting as a judge for the Landscape and Farming Award, a biennial event which did much to build bridges between the conservation and farming communities.

Yn gymdeithasol, roedd Warren bob amser yn sgwrsiwr da yn y Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. Roedd yn un da am wrando yn ogystal â siarad ac er mai Eryri oedd ei brif ddiddordeb, roedd ganddo hefyd ddiddordeb mawr yn y byd ehangach. Wedi ymddeol o fod yn ymddiriedolwr Cymdeithas Eryri gweithredodd fel Is-lywydd am sawl blwyddyn a pharhaodd i fynychu’r Cyfarfod Blynyddol a digwyddiadau cymdeithasol hyd at y diwedd, er ei ofal mawr o’i wraig yn ei salwch olaf. Yn 2007, derbyniodd MBE am ei wasanaeth i Barc Cenedlaethol Eryri a’r gymuned leol; gwobr a chydnabyddiaeth hollol haeddiannol. Ysgrifenwyd gan Rob Collister, arweinydd mynydd wedi ymddeol a gyn-ymddiriedolwr Cymdeithas Eryri

Socially, Warren was always approachable and a great conversationalist, be it in Welsh or English. He was a ready listener as well as a talker and, while interested in Snowdonia above all, he remained engaged with the wider world also. On standing down as a trustee of the Snowdonia Society he served as Vice-president for several years and continued to attend AGMs and social events right to the end, despite having to care fulltime for his wife in her terminal illness. When he was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to Snowdonia National Park and the local community it was a recognition richly deserved. Written by Rob Collister, retired mountain guide and former trustee of the Snowdonia Society

Protecting and celebrating Snowdonia for over 50 years | 31

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 Cymdeithas Eryri the Snowdonia Society, Caban, Yr Hen Ysgol, Brynrefail, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 3NR  01286 685498  info@snowdonia-society.org.uk www.cymdeithas-eryri.org.uk • www.snowdonia-society.org.uk Elusen gofrestredig rhif • Registered charity no: 1155401