Rare orchid pops up for the first time in 20 years
A RARE orchid, dubbed the ‘crown jewel of sand dunes’ has been found at the Laugharne and Pendine Burrows in Carmarthenshire, for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The rediscovery of the rare fen orchid (Liparis loeselii) follows years of carefully planned conservation management by the Natural Resources Wales (NRW) led Sands of LIFE (SOLIFE) project and its partners.
The Laugharne and Pendine Burrows are an extensive system of sand dunes, running for over 9km from Pendine in the west to the River Taf estuary at Laugharne in the east.
The fen orchid was recorded by the Botanical Society of Great Britain and Ireland (BSBI) in July, the first time it has been seen on the site since 2003.
An 11-year-old member of the BSBI, Tristan Moss, found the fen orchid, which was in flower and seed, while he was taking part in the annual Carmarthenshire recording week.
Tristan said: “I’ve been coming to BSBI meetings in Wales since I was a baby, re-finding the fen orchid made this the best year yet.”
In addition, another five plants were found by the 16-strong BSBI party, one in flower and seed and the other four, non-flowering.
Several other rare species were recorded during the day including fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia densiflora), dotted sedge (Carex punctata) and adder’s-tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum).
Laura Bowen, Sands of Life project and monitoring officer, said: “This fantastic rediscovery follows years of carefully planned conservation management between multiple organisations.
“Sands of Life, which will restore more than 2,400 hectares of sand dunes across four Special Areas of Conservation on 10 separate Welsh sites, has worked closely with site managers, Qinetiq; the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) ecologists; and NRW’S senior environment officer for Carmarthenshire Ruth Harding, to target key areas for restoration at the Laugharne and Pendine Burrows.”
Oliver Howells, senior ecologist for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, described the work taking place as a “genuine success story”.
He said: “The recovery of this iconic species is the culmination of many years of work delivered by DIO and Qinetiq in partnerships with tenants, Natural Resources Wales and the Sands of Life project.
“It’s a genuine success story and a great example of the long-term commitment needed to support nature recovery at this and other important wildlife sites.”
Laura explained: “We are so pleased with the results from the scrub clearance programme that has been completed at Pendine.
“Scrub and rank vegetation will outcompete specialised, low-growing dune plants, but thanks to this completed work a range of plant species such as the fen orchid can thrive.
“We would also like to thank all our partners including our contractors AJ Butler Contracting, who work meticulously showing great care for sensitive environments, and BSBI, for undertaking essential monitoring surveys and making this fantastic find.”