Bryn Arau Duon

The site is well connected and offers good access for people via public rights of way.

Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is a nature-friendly and sustainable woodland management approach that provides a range of benefits. 

This management approach, which involves selectively thinning trees, helps woodlands by: 

• making them more resilient to climate change, pests and diseases, 
• boosting biodiversity 
• encouraging natural regeneration

It also results in creating a diverse forest structure, producing timber whilst retaining canopy cover. 

Bryn Arau Duon is part of a national network of CCF research forests, known as the Irregular Silviculture Network (ISN). (A Silviculture system refers to the process of tending, harvesting and regenerating a forest.) Data from the network is collected and shared to inform silvicultural best practice in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland.

As a dynamic multi-purpose woodland, Bryn Arau Duon safeguards biodiversity, protecting and improving ecosystem services, as well as supporting the timber industry in Wales by producing quality timber for local markets. 

The increased lichen and mosses on the forest floor, due to the CCF practices, increases carbon capture and storage as well as helping to mitigate flooding.

The woodland is also home to red squirrel and pine martens. Working with Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership, the site actively monitors the endangered red squirrel population as part of a regional conservation project. Vincent Wildlife Trust also lead community wildlife monitoring activities on site, focused on protecting pine martens.