Current Projects
We are currently working on this page - please contact Glasu on
01982 552224 for further information.
Green Tourism Business Scheme
Environmental considerations are increasingly known to be a factor in purchasing decisions by tourists. Variously labelled green tourism, ecotourism, responsible tourism or sustainable tourism, many such initiatives aim to support and develop a tourism industry with lower costs and lower environmental/social impacts, whilst offering a high quality experience for visitors.
From areas where such initiatives are already well progressed, lessons on successfully developing this market, include:
- Clarity and reputation of claims for eco-labelled products/services – employing some form of benchmarking or certification.
- Targeted promotion and marketing.
- Coordinated support.
STBS aims to learn from such lessons and implement an eco-certification scheme to provide a focus for: involving tourism businesses; raising their environmental awareness; encouraging actions by them to both reduce environmental impacts and costs; promotion and marketing to access this emerging green market.
This project is being delivered in concert with Brecon Beacons National Park’s Collabor8 project, enabling:
- Synergies and savings in the support and marketing packages
- Consistency with wider, regional/national/international strategies
- A common approach across a major geographical area
OutdoorGirlz
To research, develop and market a package of 6 guided
mountain bike trails, catering specifically for the preferences of
female mountain bikers, with tours integrating wildlife, local food
and green accommodation.
For more information contact Glasu or visit the OutdoorGirlz website.
For more information contact Glasu or visit the OutdoorGirlz website.
Glaslyn e-trail
A wildlife and green themed trail, with both traditional
and electronic audio-visual interpretation, being undertaken by
Montgomeryshire
Wildlife Trust.
The aim of the Project is to develop, as pilot project,
a themed trail, supported by downloadable information and
interpretation, linking:
·
Wynfford Vaughan-Thomas Memorial (on the
Llanidloes-Machynlleth Mountain Road) with;
·
Glaslyn Nature Reserve and;
·
Locations of climate change mitigation work on the Bugeilyn
Estate (currently underway as part of the Pumlumon
Project).
The Pumlumon Project is a large-scale habitat
restoration project run by the Wales Wildlife Trusts and sponsored
by WAG, EA, CCW, FC and others.
An economic and social scoping study was
carried out in 2006 to establish the need for the Pumlumon Project
and to identify opportunities. The scoping study identified the
need for new types of visitor accommodation better related to the
natural heritage of the area, and for better access to and
interpretation of this heritage to visitors and residents alike.
This has been confirmed through subsequent
consultations.
This project will present the work, currently being
undertaken at Glaslyn and Bugeilyn, to the public, both local
residents and visitors. This work includes climate change
mitigation (ditch-blocking, grazing with traditional cattle,
grazing regime modification, heather restoration etc) as well as
more conventional wildlife conservation (red grouse, hen harriers
etc). Interpretation will show people the importance of this work,
and how local farmers are helping us to deliver it.
The proposed trail will be a valuable addition to the
visitor infrastructure of the area and also be an important section
of the Pumlumon Circular Trail (under development), which we will
use to generate increased visitor spend in the area and thus help
to create jobs.
This is to be Mid-Wales’ first e-trail, with route
finding information, interpretation, local histories, inputs from
local farmers, Vaughan-Thomas recordings, and even music and poetry
available from a menu on the website and downloadable onto mobile
phones, i-players or other portable media players.
Shakespearean Art and Nature Trail
The project is a nature trail, and package of guided
walks and themed events, being undertaken by
Shakespeare Link. The trail uses the works of Shakespeare to
integrate and promote local wildlife, culture and arts, organic
farming and renewable energy to visitors.
trail.The project will be developed around the Living
Willow Theatre at Penllanole, an
organic farm and registered private nature reserve, nestled in the
Upper Wye Valley, 3 miles south of Rhayader.
Shakespeare’s works are packed full of references
to flora and fauna, wildlife and rural life. The project aims to
combine these references into a unique educational nature trail
around the farm. With support from Radnor Wildlife Trust and local
ecologist, Ursula Hill Bowen, Shakespeare Link have mapped out a
¾ mile route, which incorporates:
- native woodland (currently carpeted with snowdrops);
- a journey through the centre of an ancient box hedge;
- characterised trees of Titania & Prospero;
- a wildlife pond;
- willow and chainsaw sculptures (from a local artist) of Shakespeare’s characters;
- a bridge across a magical stream;
- a bird/wildlife hide;
- farm animals;
- traditional wildflower-hay meadows:
- the wind turbine and PV solar panels.
The trail will employ various forms of learning,
involvement and experience, including traditional trail
leaflets/brochures and interpretation boards, as well as guided
talks/events, “quotation” mobiles; natural treasure
hunts and other innovative games and studies for all
ages.
To enable access by a wide range of visitors, the trail
design will permit 6 options of 250-300 yard-circular trails, as
well as the full ¾ mile trail. Interpretation boards, finger
posts and leaflets will allow casual visitors to wander the trail
at their leisure on event and open days.
- In addition to the trail’s physical infrastructure, further attractions of the package for visitors focus around a programme of events:
- Themed workshops, open days and guided walks;
- The trail will be available for public visitors for at least 3 days per month from April to September, usually with one day committed to guided days;
- During the first season, there will be 6 dedicated nature-days as well as other themed workshops.
- Complementary events – programme developed in liaison with other local attractions such as Gigrin Farm, Elan Valley trust, etc to avoid competing events on the same days.
This project is a tourism car survey to test the initial feasibility and inform the design of a proposed trial of open-air, electrically-powered buggies (B-Bugs) for hire by visitors to the BBNP in the summer of 2011.
The Brecon Beacons National Park (BBNP) is working
towards becoming a leading eco-tourism destination. Unfortunately,
91% of visitors to the Park currently travel here by car and the
cars in question are often carbon intensive, large family people
carriers and, increasingly, motor homes.
The main focus to date in the BBNP has been on improving
conventional public transport options for visitors. Such schemes
have worked well for day visitors in particular. However, there is
a need to address the requirements of longer-stay visitors,
particularly those staying in self-catering accommodation and those
who use more carbon-intensive vehicles. The aim here is to explore
a parallel, but alternative public transport approach,
investigating if some proportion of visitors could be attracted to
hire a lightweight, low speed, electric vehicle to transport
them around within the park during their
stay.
The options for electric vehicles are relatively
limited: car manufacturers are focussed on developing electric cars
which match the performance (speed, range, capacity and comfort) of
today’s petrol or diesel equivalents. The first cars to
emerge are hugely expensive and over specified for the 5-10 mile
journeys which make up the bulk of people’s annual mileage.
Currently, the cheapest electric cars
available in the UK are in the region of
£11-£12k and they aren’t very good cars.
Early results of the Talybont Energy Green car project (which
employs a cheaper electric car) suggest that a much cheaper,
lightweight, low-speed, “runabout car” might adequately
fulfil short, ‘functional’ trips of 10-20 miles. People
appreciate the quiet, low carbon ride but they also enjoy having a
different driving experience in a car which looks
funky!
The “Beacons Buggies”
(B-Bug) idea is based on taking an alternative
approach than the conventional electric car. Petrol, road-legal
buggies are around today and cost in the region of £3k
-£5k. This project aims to investigate whether an electric
version of one of these existing petrol buggies for around the same
price. It will NOT be a car. It will be draughty and wet but it
will also be funky and fun to drive and will cost 1/3 of the amount
the lowest end electric car costs. It would only be necessary to
modify it (e.g. making it weatherproof) if one wanted to make it
more like a car. The trial in 2011 is to experiment as to whether
such a vehicle would be attractive to tourists and economically
viable.
For more info: www.beaconsbuggy.wordpress.com