The 2nd May Spring Walk with Rangers Alec and Raj was fascinating and very enjoyable once again. As expected, the slight drizzle didn’t dampen either of their sprits or banter. This is the current bluebell display in Tranch y Hebog woods (go out of the top of Cefn Onn and just beyond the golfcourse). The next guided walk is Saturday 9 May – see post below for details and other guided walks from Cefn Onn.

Cardiff Council have recently published their GUIDED WALKS AND PARK EVENTS 2015 which gives you details of many walks around Cardiff throughout the year. Below are those relating to Parc Cefn Onn that you might be particularly interested in joining. First event is this Saturday 2^nd May.  Note that for some walks you need to reserve a place and for most there is a small charge. Maybe see you there!

02/05/2015     10:00‐13:00 CEFN ONN SPRING WALK

Join the Rangers for a brisk walk from Cefn Onn to Tranch y Hebog to discover the spring flowers and other wildlife that abound in this beautiful woodland on the edge of Cardiff. Meet at Cefn Onn car park. This is a bookable event so please contact the Ranger Service to ensure your place on 07976 132824 or 029 2044 5911.  £1    Slightly energetic walk. 

09/05/2015    10:00‐16:00 NORTH CARDIFF RIDGEWAY WALK FROM TAFFS WELL TO LISVANE

A linear walk exploring the wooded Ridgeway footpath to the north of Cardiff, starting at Taffs Well train station and ending at Cefn Onn Country Park, Lisvane. An ascent onto Craig yr Allt rewards with panoramic views overlooking Cardiff and Caerphilly. A well‐earned rest can be had on the train journey back to Taffs Well train station. Please remember to bring train fare and refreshments. SENSIBLE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR ESSENTIAL. Meet at Taffs Well train station £2      11km     You need to be fairly fit. 

31/05/2015   14:00 – 16:00  Peter’s tree walk 2015 

Friend of Parc Cefn Onn member, Peter Kent, will repeat his very popular guided walk identifying nearly 80 of the Park’s fascinating botanical specimens including our Champion Trees. Peter explores all corners of the Park identifying trees from the smallest to tallest, and from the most common to one which is only one of five in the entire UK. £1    2km   Easy walk.

25/06/2015    18:00 A WALK AROUND CEFN ONN

Led by Cardiff Parks Services, discover the fascinating history of this beautiful park. The walk is quite vigorous in places, those who feel unable to complete the full walk are welcome to come and enjoy the views of the swimming pool (upper pond) missing only the short, more demanding, section. Meet at Cefn Onn Car Park. Free  Slightly energetic walk, wheelchair accessible. 

05/09/2015    20:00‐22:00 BAT WALK AT CEFN ONN PARK

Led by the Park Rangers. Discover the bats feeding around the park and woods using bat detectors. Please bring torches with you. Meet at Cefn Onn Car Park. To book a place contact 07976 132824 or 029 2044 5911.  £1    2km   Easy walk.

10/10/2015    10:00‐16:00 NORTH CARDIFF RIDGEWAY WALK FROM CEFN ONN TO TAFFS WELL

A linear walk exploring the wooded Ridgeway footpath to the north of Cardiff, starting at Cefn Onn Country Park and ending at Taffs Well train station. An ascent onto Craig yr Allt rewards with panoramic views overlooking Cardiff and Caerphilly. A long gentle descent follows onto the Taff Trail to Taffs Well train station where a well‐earned rest can be had on the train journey back to Lisvane and Thornhill stations. Please remember to bring train fare and refreshments. SENSIBLE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR ESSENTIAL.  Meet at Cefn Onn car park.  £2    11km   You need to be fairly fit.

Spot the difference ?! For many years the Friends Group have been trying to arrange for the old viewpoint in the top filed that overlooks Cardiff, the River Severn, and across to Somerset to be opened up for everyone to enjoy. This has been overgrown for 20 years.  The Friends spent our February Workday clearing all the vegetation and the Council Parks Dept subsequently removed the old wire fencing and built the nice new wooden fence. Hopefully everyone who manages to walk all the way to  the top field will be rewarded with magnificent sunny views once again! [Left photo 2011, right photo 2015]

We are very pleased to have recently been awarded a £450 grant by Keep Wales Tidy to buy pollinating plants for Cefn Onn. Committee member Tony has done about half the shopping for these plants so far and we spent our April Workday planting them up by the summer house. It has been a dry week so many of us have been watering regularly. (16 mature foxglove shrubs, 1 Ceanothus lemon & lime, 1 Sarcoccocca , 1 Sarcoccocca confuse, 1 Polemonium Bressington purple and plug plants: 20 marsh Marigold, 20 Wild Primrose, 20 Cowslip, 20 Meadow Cranesbill, 20 Ragged Robin, 20 Loosestrife, 20 Milk Mallow.)

Unfortunately we didn’t know that we had been nominated for this award or that the ceremony was taking place last October, but we found out afterwards that we were 2014 runners up and have just received the trophy this week! Thanks to whoever nominated us, it is nice to have the efforts of the Friends Group recognised.

Our Friends Group was set up in 2010 to try and halt the significant deterioration of Cefn Onn over the previous 10 years and you will surely agree that we have made a difference so far. However, Parks Friends Groups across Cardiff are very concerned about the level of proposed budget cuts (approx. 23% – to be voted on in Council on 26th Feb 2015) to the Park Ranger Service. Like other Cardiff parks, all our work to improve Cefn Onn is coordinated through the Park Ranger Service. This includes our Family Workdays, grant applications, and management of grant spending. If this coordination is reduced, what we do will be reduced. If a Community Ranger cannot attend our Workdays, we cannot work in the Park. Friends Groups donate 1000s of hours every year. We have responded to the Council’s consultation and are lobbying to ensure that those making the budget cut decisions are aware of the implications. Unfortunately 2015 is only the first of three years of cuts by central government to local authorities!

We have recently published our latest Newsletter – copies have been emailed to all members (please let us know if you are a member and have not received it) and a copy is displayed on the Park Noticeboard. It will appear on our website next month.

It appears that dog thieves have been visiting Cefn Onn. Several dog owners have reported seeing two men acting suspiciously, a young puppy was abducted in late January, and they tried to snatch another dog at the park entrance in early February. The police are investigating. If you see anyone acting suspiciously, please report it to the police on their 101 telephone number. (Please also keep the Friends Group informed by adding a comment to this post.)

In 2012 Cardiff Bat Group and a number of members/ families helped the Friends conduct a bat survey and this identified at least three species in Cefn Onn Park. As a result, we received a grant to purchase and install a number of bat boxes and also by some bat detection equipment.

Having given a year’s settling in time since installation of the boxes we would like to invite families to help us conduct and evening hunt to see what new residents we may have.

The evening will be led by Cardiff Community Park Rangers and will be using our skill, cunning, stealth (and a number of bat detectors!) to discover our secretive nocturnal inhabitants.       Please meet in the car park at 8pm, and bring a torch!