The National Trust has issued a warning that several species are on the brink of extinction within a valley in Eryri National Park, formerly known as Snowdonia.

A project named Tlysau Mynydd Eryri (Mountain Jewels of Eryri), a conservation partnership led by Plantlife Cymru, is working to safeguard the future of some of Wales' rarest alpine plants.

Ecological surveys and ongoing monitoring will assess the impact of restoration work. The health of the valley will be gauged by tracking species such as the woodcock and otter, alongside plants like aspen and juniper. IMAGE2 IMAGE3 Tufted Saxifrage, an alpine flower growing on rocky terrain. It has white petals and a yellow centre. It sits on a bed of red and green leaves

The initiative also incorporates the innovative use of GPS livestock collars to manage grazing with greater precision. Rhys Wheldon-Roberts, Cwm Idwal Partnership Officer, emphasized the importance of monitoring for effective grazing, stating, "The collars on the cattle allow us to move the cattle around the landscape and you can monitor it as you go, and the farmers can see that data live on their apps." He added that this technology makes grazing more effective for both livestock and nature.

Community involvement and volunteering are central to the project's approach. "There are opportunities for people to get involved in monitoring, in volunteering, just learning about the landscape in general," Wheldon-Roberts said. School visits to Cwm Idwal will provide opportunities for students to observe the project's effects and the role of cattle in conservation grazing. "By bringing people along with us they get a chance to learn and hopefully appreciate, and ultimately try to protect this special landscape that we've got around us," he noted.

The project is supported by nearly £1 million from the Nature Networks Fund, managed by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh government and in collaboration with Natural Resources Wales. "What we're trying to do with this project is set a foundation for the future," said Rogers. "Some things will change in the next three years, but what we're doing is setting ourselves up so that recovery can continue for decades afterwards."