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Enhancing biodiversity and sustainable land use underpins much of our work, with many of our ongoing projects helping to make the Vale a place for flora and fauna to flourish.
This page is designed to show you some examples of the biodiversity and land-use work the Council is doing as part of Project Zero.
Rhoose Point Habitat Restoration
Our Local Nature Partnership team coordinated habitat management works at Rhoose Point to enhance local biodiversity. The project focused on two key areas—near the lagoon and in the Green Church area—where contractors removed invasive non-native species and excess willow. These improvements have helped restore species-rich grassland and created better conditions for a wider variety of wildlife to thrive.
Tree strategy
We launched a new Tree Strategyto guide the sustainable management of trees and woodlands across the Vale over the next 15 years. Developed following extensive public consultation, the strategy outlines how we will protect existing trees, plant new ones in suitable locations, and increase urban canopy cover to support biodiversity and climate resilience. To engage residents and raise awareness, we also held a series of roadshow events across the county, offering communities the chance to learn more.
Oil beetles
We’ve installed over 50 signs along the Wales Coast Path and in Hensol Woods to raise awareness of oil beetles. With help from our amazing volunteers, the signs encourage walkers to watch their step, report sightings, and learn more about these important species. We’ve also hosted training workshops at Hensol Woods and Welsh St Donats Village Hall to help people identify oil beetles and understand how to protect their habitats.
Otters
As part of our Restore the Thaw Project, we have installed wildlife cameras across 30 locations in the River Thaw catchment to monitor otters and other local species. The project, part-funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund Nature Networks programme and the Waterloo Foundation, aimed to enhance habitat connectivity and support otter conservation. We surveyed otter populations, installed artificial holts to encourage breeding, assessed road crossings to improve safe passage for wildlife, and ran community training sessions to help residents identify signs of otter activity.
Enhancing biodiversity and sustainable land use underpins much of our work, with many of our ongoing projects helping to make the Vale a place for flora and fauna to flourish.
This page is designed to show you some examples of the biodiversity and land-use work the Council is doing as part of Project Zero.
Rhoose Point Habitat Restoration
Our Local Nature Partnership team coordinated habitat management works at Rhoose Point to enhance local biodiversity. The project focused on two key areas—near the lagoon and in the Green Church area—where contractors removed invasive non-native species and excess willow. These improvements have helped restore species-rich grassland and created better conditions for a wider variety of wildlife to thrive.
Tree strategy
We launched a new Tree Strategyto guide the sustainable management of trees and woodlands across the Vale over the next 15 years. Developed following extensive public consultation, the strategy outlines how we will protect existing trees, plant new ones in suitable locations, and increase urban canopy cover to support biodiversity and climate resilience. To engage residents and raise awareness, we also held a series of roadshow events across the county, offering communities the chance to learn more.
Oil beetles
We’ve installed over 50 signs along the Wales Coast Path and in Hensol Woods to raise awareness of oil beetles. With help from our amazing volunteers, the signs encourage walkers to watch their step, report sightings, and learn more about these important species. We’ve also hosted training workshops at Hensol Woods and Welsh St Donats Village Hall to help people identify oil beetles and understand how to protect their habitats.
Otters
As part of our Restore the Thaw Project, we have installed wildlife cameras across 30 locations in the River Thaw catchment to monitor otters and other local species. The project, part-funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund Nature Networks programme and the Waterloo Foundation, aimed to enhance habitat connectivity and support otter conservation. We surveyed otter populations, installed artificial holts to encourage breeding, assessed road crossings to improve safe passage for wildlife, and ran community training sessions to help residents identify signs of otter activity.
We launched a new Tree Strategy to guide the sustainable management of trees and woodlands across the Vale over the next 15 years. Developed following extensive public consultation, the strategy outlines how we will protect existing trees, plant new ones in suitable locations, and increase urban canopy cover to support biodiversity and climate resilience. To engage residents and raise awareness, we also held a series of roadshow events across the county, offering communities the chance to learn more. 
We’ve installed over 50 signs along the Wales Coast Path and in Hensol Woods to raise awareness of oil beetles. With help from our amazing volunteers, the signs encourage walkers to watch their step, report sightings, and learn more about these important species. We’ve also hosted training workshops at Hensol Woods and Welsh St Donats Village Hall to help people identify oil beetles and understand how to protect their habitats. 
As part of our Restore the Thaw Project, we have installed wildlife cameras across 30 locations in the River Thaw catchment to monitor otters and other local species. The project, part-funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund Nature Networks programme and the Waterloo Foundation, aimed to enhance habitat connectivity and support otter conservation. We surveyed otter populations, installed artificial holts to encourage breeding, assessed road crossings to improve safe passage for wildlife, and ran community training sessions to help residents identify signs of otter activity. 
