PEOPLE across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion are being encouraged to discover the wildlife on their doorstep as Wales Nature Week returns this July.

The annual celebration takes place from July 4 to 12, with more than 80 events across Wales, including a strong programme in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

This year’s theme, In Your Neighbourhood, focuses on the wildlife, green spaces and everyday nature that can be found close to home, from beaches and wetlands to country parks, nature reserves, gardens and community spaces.

In West Wales, events include seashore activities on the Pembrokeshire coast, conservation work at Broad Haven, a guided walk at Teifi Marshes, a family nature day at Pembrey Country Park and the Ceredigion Nature Festival in Aberystwyth.

Natural Resources Wales said the week is designed to encourage people of all ages to get involved, spend time outdoors and take simple steps to help nature recover.

Prys Davies, Executive Director of Strategy, Policy and Evidence at Natural Resources Wales, said: “Wales Nature Week is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to get involved and make a difference for nature.

“We’re encouraging everyone to take a closer look at the nature on their doorstep, and to take simple, practical steps to help it thrive. Whether that’s creating space for wildlife at home, getting involved in local projects, or supporting conservation work, every action counts and adds up to real change.

“We’re facing a nature and climate emergency, and the need to act has never been clearer. Healthy ecosystems underpin our food, our health and our economy, and they need our support to thrive. Wales Nature Week is a chance for all of us to play our part.”

Local events include a Balsam Bash at Morfa Wetlands in Carmarthen on Friday, July 4, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Volunteers will help tackle invasive Himalayan balsam and protect an important wetland habitat.

On Saturday, July 5, a guided walk at the former Pentremawr Colliery in Pontyberem will explore how nature has reclaimed the historic industrial site. The free event runs from 10:00am to 12:30pm.

Families in Pembrokeshire can take part in a Junior Seashore Safari on the Pembrokeshire Coast on Saturday, July 5, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, with young explorers invited to discover the marine life living along the shoreline.

A Volunteer Conservation Day will also take place at Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve in Broad Haven on Sunday, July 6, from 10:30am. Volunteers will help with practical conservation tasks, including habitat management and boardwalk maintenance.

On Wednesday, July 9, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales will lead a Wales Nature Week walk at Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve in Cilgerran from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. The walk will give visitors a chance to learn more about the reserve’s habitats, wildlife and future plans for the visitor centre.

One of the biggest local highlights will be Gone Wild at Pembrey Country Park on Saturday, July 11, from 11:00am to 4:00pm. The free family event, with parking charges applying, will include outdoor activities, nature challenges, scavenger hunts, den building and stalls from organisations working to protect wildlife in Carmarthenshire.

Ceredigion will also host one of the headline events, with Ceredigion Nature Festival taking place in Aberystwyth on Saturday, July 11, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The free festival will bring together conservation groups, artists, researchers and community organisations to celebrate the county’s wildlife and landscapes.

The week ends locally with a Nature Bingo Walk with Sea Watch in New Quay, Ceredigion, on Sunday, July 12, from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Participants will explore the coast while spotting and identifying local wildlife.

Further West Wales events continue later in July, including a BioBlitz Festival at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne on July 18 and 19, where visitors will help record as many species as possible across the garden and Waun Las Nature Reserve.

Full event listings and booking details are available on the Wales Nature Week website.

From young recruit to respected veteran, Phil Lees-Griffiths leaves lasting legacy

A TENBY firefighter whose career has spanned almost four decades has been honoured on his retirement after 37 years of service with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Photographs shared to mark the occasion show Phil Lees-Griffiths’ remarkable journey from a young firefighter at the beginning of his career to a respected and experienced member of Tenby’s fire crew, reflecting nearly four decades of commitment to protecting local communities.

Tenby Town Council has paid tribute to Phil’s dedication, courage and professionalism, describing his retirement as the end of an era for the town’s emergency services.

Mayor of Tenby, Cllr Dai Morgan, said: “Today, we celebrate not just the retirement of a firefighter, but the remarkable career of a man who has devoted 37 years to protecting the people of Tenby and our surrounding communities.”

A youth-led project that began as a small discussion group for girls at Ysgol Greenhill has grown into an award-winning movement reaching across Pembrokeshire and beyond.

Supported by Pembrokeshire Youth Service and Senior Youth Worker Leah Walker, We Know Our Journey has spent the past four years empowering young people to become leaders, educators and advocates for positive change.

The countywide initiative now brings together girls and boys to promote healthy relationships, positive masculinity, mental health awareness, emotional wellbeing, and the prevention of violence against women and girls.

Young people involved in the project have led workshops, developed resources, raised more than £3,000 for local charities, represented Pembrokeshire at national and international events, and worked with a range of partners to create lasting change in their communities.

The project has also built strong working relationships with a number of organisations in Wales, including the Welsh Government’s Sound campaign.

Following a Taith exchange trip to New Zealand involving We Know Our Journey and Her Voice, a Vale of Glamorgan youth project, a new community interest company, Our Voice Our Journey, was created to continue and expand the work.

The group has also worked with the global movement She Is Not Your Rehab, which members hope to welcome back to Pembrokeshire this September.

Among its achievements, We Know Our Journey has helped develop a bilingual Sexual Harassment Toolkit with Her Voice for use across Wales, launched positive masculinity campaigns, and delivered emotional wellbeing projects that have reached schools and communities across the county.

The project’s work has been recognised with a Highly Commended Safer Wales Award and a Pembrokeshire Spotlight Award.

Earlier this year, Leah was invited to St James’s Palace for a special event celebrating local government workers and their work around violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Leah said: “What started as a small group of determined young people has become a powerful example of what can be achieved when young people are trusted to lead.

“As We Know Our Journey continues to grow, its mission remains clear: to educate, empower and inspire lasting change.

“I am incredibly proud of our young people and what they have achieved.”