Key Information
Counties:
Ceredigion, Powys and GwyneddYear of Inscription:
2009Link to Website:
www.dyfibiosphere.wales
Biosffer Dyfi / Dyfi Biosphere
The Dyfi Biosphere (Biosffer Dyfi in Welsh) covers the whole of the Dyfi river catchment and extends along the coast of Cardigan Bay as far as Tywyn in the north and Aberystwyth in the south. It is a largely rural area where farming, fishing and tourism are important, while the nature reserves around the Dyfi estuary are of national significance. It has a rich bilingual culture, from Welsh legends to renewable energy and organic farming.
What makes this UNESCO Designation special?
On the southern side of the Dyfi estuary, the Ynyslas dunes are home to a rich population of orchids, mosses, liverworts, fungi, insects and spiders, while Cors Fochno (Borth Bog) is one of the finest raised peat bogs in Britain.
The estuary is also part of the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation, supporting a wide range of marine habitats and wildlife. Inland, Coed Cwm Einion is an ancient semi-natural mixed broadleaved woodland. These areas form the core of the Biosphere.
Meanwhile, further up the Dyfi, the market town of Machynlleth is where Owain Glyndwr set up the first Welsh parliament in 1404. The Centre for Alternative Technology is world-renowned for its innovations in renewable energy and has stimulated interesting projects in the wider community. Down the coast, Aberystwyth is the home of a prestigious university and the National Library of Wales, and it is the Biosphere’s largest town.
Farming, fishing and food are important and there are many small businesses catering to the demand for local foods, both for visitors and people living in the area.
