Field Notes from Gower: Biodiversity, Community, and Nature Recovery in Mewslade Bay

Delaney Demaret
1 day ago
4 min read

In May, members of the Ecosystems Lab travelled to the Gower Peninsula in Wales for a weekend of fieldwork, community engagement, and ecological exploration. The visit was hosted by Mark Button, whose family has farmed the land for generations, and who is now developing a vision for the site through Gower FERN: Farming, Education, and Reconnection to Nature.

The aim of the visit was to begin building an ecological baseline for the farm and the surrounding Mewslade Valley, while also exploring how the landscape might support future nature recovery, education, and community-led ecological monitoring. Over three days, the team brought together a wide range of expertise, including pollinator ecology, plant functional diversity, bat ecology, bioacoustics, remote sensing, environmental education, and social-ecological systems.

Prof. Sandra Díaz reflected on the richness of the site’s biodiversity, and on the sense of hope created by the relationship between people and place.

“We found a very large variety of plants, and an amazing variety of beautiful moths, something I never expected to find. But what I found most fascinating and inspiring has been the energy that comes from the place, and how Mark’s energy blends with the energy of the land in a project which I think gives us hope.” - Prof. Sandra Díaz

Fieldwork took place across the farm, valley, woodland edges, coastal paths, and surrounding fields. Pollinator surveys, led by Dr Kendall Jefferys, used coloured pan traps to sample insects across different habitats. Early observations suggested particularly high abundance in regenerating farmland with mature oak trees, with flies and woodland-associated hoverflies forming an important part of the pollinator community. Prof Sandra Díaz led a vegetation survey to document plant diversity across the property, while Dr Kim Polgreen led overnight moth trapping that revealed an impressive variety of moth species, many of them striking in colour and form.

The team also surveyed the site through sound. Dr Ella Browning led the deployment of passive acoustic monitoring devices to record bats, birds, and wider soundscapes across the valley, while evening bat walks used ultrasonic detectors to identify species such as soprano pipistrelles. A dawn chorus walk brought the group together early in the morning to listen for and identify birdsong, combining specialist knowledge with tools such as MerlinID. Alongside this, drone flights led by Dr Jesus Aguirre Gutierrez collected aerial and LiDAR imagery to support future habitat mapping and landscape analysis.

Prof. Yadvinder Malhi reflected on how easily familiar landscapes and species can be overlooked, and how fieldwork can help reveal their hidden richness.

“Moths capture this in some ways because they are things you can take for granted. But when you look at them closely, they’re just jewels. They’re magical creatures. I think that is a little bit like Mewslade Valley as well. You can take these places for granted, but actually, to nurture them and allow all the amazing nature to come forth is something very special.” - Prof. Yadvinder Malhi

A defining feature of the weekend was the involvement of the local community. Mark invited residents, friends, and neighbours to join activities throughout the visit, from bat walks and moth trapping to informal conversations and shared meals at the farmhouse. Based on these encounters, we also developed an infographic introducing two free nature identification apps, helping visitors and local walkers contribute their own observations. The sign has since been installed along the path to Mewslade Bay, part of the Wales Coast Path.

The visit highlighted the richness of the landscape, from pollinators, bats, birds, fungi, and plants to mature trees, coastal habitats, and the remarkable moth diversity revealed overnight. It also showed the value of bringing different forms of knowledge together: scientific expertise, local experience, and collective ecological curiosity.

Mature elms are uncommon across much of the United Kingdom due to Dutch elm disease, making these surviving trees an ecologically significant feature of the landscape.

Dr Kim Polgreen reflected on the potential for Gower FERN to become a place where young people can learn, explore, and build lasting connections with nature.

“For me, it’s such an exciting prospect to think of young people, or more young people, coming here and enjoying these amazing spaces. … There’s a lot happening in a small area and you can see lots of really charismatic spaces, got lots of charismatic species.” - Dr Kim Polgreen

For the Ecosystems Lab, the trip was both a field survey and a glimpse of what collaborative nature recovery could look like in practice. Lower Pitton Farm and Mewslade Valley offer a powerful setting for ecological research, education, and reconnecting people with the living world. The weekend marked an important first step in understanding the site’s biodiversity and imagining how its future might be shaped through partnership, community, and care for nature.