WINTER 2025/26
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RECLAIMING THE NIGHT How south Wales is getting active after dark
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NATURE ON PRESCRIPTION RSPB expands wellbeing scheme across Wales
ACTIVE ADVENTURES FROM SWANSEA TO THE SEVERN
LOCAL NEWS
NATURE PRESCRIPTIONS ROLLED OUT ACROSS WALES WORDS BY SAM DAVIES The RSPB’s successful launch of their Nature Prescriptions in Cardiff and Newport is now being developed further across south Wales
Birdwatchers flock to see a rare visitor to south Wales Crowds of birdwatchers have headed to south Wales after a wryneck was spotted at Newport’s Goldcliff Lagoons on 26 and 28 September. Wrynecks are a rare species as they no longer breed in the UK, according to The Wildlife Trusts. The sightings align with the autumn migration and attracted enthusiasts from across the UK. Blair Jones, secretary of the Gwent Ornithological Society, said that south Wales has seen increased interest in birdwatching “during the peak migration period.” Her highlight this year was seeing the wryneck, labelling it a “lifer”, that “attracted hundreds of birders from all over the country”. The rare wryneck was spotted at Newport’s Goldcliff Lagoons, south Wales. Photograph: Blair Jones, RSPB
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Taking a moment in nature can help support mental wellbeing. Photo: RSPB
SPB’s Nature Prescriptions help healthcare professionals and community organisations support physical and mental wellbeing by encouraging people to connect with the outdoors. David Llewellyn, nature and wellbeing manager at the RSPB, said the scheme offers a “simple way” for people to support their health in an accessible way. The programme centres on booklets containing prompts to notice and interact with nature, from listening to birdsong to observing leaf patterns or feeling the crisp autumn air. Llewellyn said that the RSPB reviewed the evidence so far and found nature prescriptions have been associated with lower blood pressure, better sleep and gut health, and reduced loneliness, adding that they “complement more forms of green social prescribing”. These “simple” nature-based activities offer a timely way to support wellbeing Azra Syed and Naheed Ashraf, co-founders of Active
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Lives, a Muslim women’s group in Newport, said their members have seen improvements in their health after using these prescriptions during the darker months, including better sleep and reduced anxiety. One participant told them: “I checked my blood pressure when I got home, it went down.” Since launching in Cardiff and Newport earlier this year, demand for nature prescription booklets has risen quickly. More than 3,000 have been distributed in Cardiff and “just over 1000” in Newport, with GP practices in both cities now offering them. RSPB Cymru said this early success has led to plans to expand the scheme Wales. Booklets and group activities are being prepared for further distribution in cities. The group reported increased energy levels and greater motivation to stay active. As flu season and darker months continue the RSPB hopes the expansion will help more people use everyday encounters with nature to support their health.
WAVES OF CHANGE: Tracking coastal erosion through photography An environmental project called CoastSnap enables local residents in south Wales to help track erosion on Welsh coastlines using their mobile phone. Organised by Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre (WCMC), the photo project is helping scientists capture how storms reshape beaches. People can slot their phones into CoastSnap mounts near coasts, such as in Porthcawl and Barry. The information on the mounts provides details on how to upload photos via QR code. These photos can help track how sand levels and cliffside erosion change over time. With more than 60% of Wales’ population living or working in coastal areas, according to Senedd Research, coastal erosion is becoming harder to ignore. Ben Ranson, coastal process scientist at WCMC, said the project is already showing how dynamic the coastline is.
INTERVIEW WITH HANNAH GARCIA
SMALL BUT MIGHTY CO-FOUNDER OF CARDIFF NON-PROFIT Green Squirrel’s co-founder, Hannah Garcia, shows how ordinary people are driving change through environmental action and sustainability
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n Railway Gardens, a community hub in Splott, Cardiff, volunteers can be seen setting up gazebos between vegetable beds and planters, preparing for the evening’s lantern walk. The scent of cooked potatoes lingers in the autumn air as Hannah Garcia (pictured), co-founder of Green Squirrel, speaks about her hopes for Wales’s new environment bill. Known for her humour and love of cake, Garcia says that projects like this show how community-led spaces can spark ecological change. Green Squirrel is a social enterprise that assists the local community through environmental workshops and interactive events. Garcia co-founded the community hub with Rebecca Clark, who she met shortly after moving to Cardiff from a city farm job. Volunteering for a community project, she went to collect a cake from a stranger who offered to bake for a fundraiser and met Clark. “We just clicked,” she said. “We realised that we had really similar goals in how we wanted to make climate action more accessible for people.” What began as a chance meeting over cake became Green Squirrel and a partnership that’s lasted over a decade. Her journey into environmental activism began at a young age, helping her father at the allotment and experimenting with plants in
INTERVIEW
student accommodation. The birth of her child alongside a climate report turned her hobby into urgency: “It was like a real punch, I’d just had my baby, and there was this report saying we had twelve years to save the planet.”
Fighting for nature: the Environment Bill The Welsh government introduced the new Environment Bill in June 2025, aiming to strengthen environmental protection. Garcia said the proposal was long overdue. “Wales got really left behind after we left the EU,” she explained. The bill, she said, could finally “fill that gap”, but parts of it needed to be stronger to make real change. Green Squirrel hosted a letter writing session, helping local residents contact their Members of the Senedd and share why nature matters to them, imploring them to strengthen the bill. Garcia said the event showed how people “really want to have a say in these processes.” She added that their community leads by example: “Wales is small but mighty,” she believes “ordinary people can inspire and drive change.” “I live and breathe the climate movement,” she said, describing how deeply the work shapes her life.
Hannah’s top tips for a sustainable life Grow your own vegetables! Hands in the soil are a “real antidote to eco anxiety” Reduce food waste – it saves money and is good for the planet Repair, don’t replace – from clothes to home items, small fixes make a big difference Connect with your community – inspiring each other and acting together keeps you motivated “It was like a real punch, I’d just had my baby, and there was this report saying we had twelve years to save the planet”
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Photo: Upsplash
THE NIGHT SHIFT
FEATURE
South Wales residents are reclaiming their evenings, staying active after dark this winter
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y late afternoon in south Wales, daylight is already sinking behind the trees, casting parks and streets in a wash of amber streetlights and shadows. With winter comes longer nights and earlier sunsets. Yet, instead of retreating indoors, more people seem to be stepping into the darkness, reclaiming their time. While darkness falls earlier, it does not take away from the 24 hours we all have. Cardiff, for one, is not stepping into these darker months unprepared. Leading by example as the Welsh capital, the city represents south Wales through its reattained Purple Flag status. The award recognises cities that can prove their nighttime environment is safe, active and well-managed. Only a handful of UK cities hold this accreditation consistently, and in south Wales, Cardiff and Swansea represent the region’s growing culture of nighttime engagement. Karen Shields, membership and Purple Flag engagement manager, explained that not many places hold this status, with most concentrated in the Midlands. Cardiff and Swansea, she said, are “an award of excellence,” showing south Wales is reclaiming the night. These activities include after-dark outdoor wellbeing and fitness culture, including night runs, yoga sessions, and women-led activities. From her own experience, Shields highlighted the benefits of outdoor nighttime activities. “I find it quite therapeutic, it calms my head,” she said, describing the winter atmosphere as “different.” Shields has also noticed an increase in unusual nighttime activities. Women’s running groups have taken to running in black morph suits with glow sticks attached, creating stick-figure patterns as they move. A playful demonstration of communities coming together.
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Local groups making the most of winter nights Across south Wales, several groups and clubs are taking advantage of the longer nights to organise activities, from after-dark yoga to night running. One group embracing the darker months is Cardiff’s Mountain Yoga, which has seen a noticeable surge in interest as the evenings draw in. They explained that their evening classes become especially busy, with people seeking a calm space “to step out of the chaos of daily life.” Their after-dark sessions offer what they describe as a restorative winter atmosphere, particularly through their fire and ice sessions, which remain especially popular. These sessions move between a heated hot pod room and coldwater exposure, teaching breathing techniques that provide stress relief and an energy boost.
Building community through the night Anna Sharwood, from Together We Run, a Cardiff run club known for its Friday night sessions, said
Mountain Yoga’s atmospheric fire and ice sessions, an activity that will give you a much-needed energy boost. Photo: Josh Odell, Mountain Yoga
the darker months strengthen their community. Many members choose group runs over solo sessions, particularly women who feel a greater sense of safety and comfort when running together. Sharwood said that running in a group helps people relax and enjoy their miles more. Together We Run currently has 108 members in its WhatsApp group, showing how many choose group runs over going out alone. Together We Run also hosts glow-stick night runs with music, giving runners a more enjoyable experience that benefits from the “added safety and camaraderie of running in a group.” Sharwood it’s “empowering” to reclaim shorter days through night
"By choosing to come out for a class or a wellness session, people are actively reclaiming a piece of their day" JOSH ODELL, MOUNTAIN YOGA
runs, recalling highlights such as running past Cardiff Castle singing Love Story, glow sticks in hand. The group said they value Cardiff’s Purple Flag status and initiatives that promise safety during the darker months, including new projects like Own the Night, aimed at supporting nighttime activity for women. The group said they value Cardiff’s Purple Flag status and initiatives that promise safety during the darker months, including new projects like Own the Night, aimed at supporting nighttime activity for women. In Swansea, yoga teacher Helen Wilson from Woman Kind Yoga described the colder months as the “off season,” with fewer people opting for outdoor sessions. Participation drops, she explained, but some still seek the calmer, more atmospheric feel of practising after dark. Wilson said that “people become far more sedentary in winter,”
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hese activities, Shields explained, encourage both therapy and connection. “There’s a place for me,” she said, reflecting on how Purple Flag cities provide spaces for people to meet others who refuse to let daylight dictate their time. Under the cover of night, they can feel safer moving together through their streets. Shields added a more personal note about her own evening habits. “You put your hat down, then I’m off,” she said, shrugging off the cold on her frequent night walks. She also highlighted simple pleasures. “You don’t bump into many people in the night,” she said, noting that even crossing the road can feel easier in these quieter hours.
WORDS BY SAM DAVIES
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