Marford Quarry, a former sand and gravel quarry, is already one of the top sites in Wales for its variety of insect life. The site is SSSI-designated both for the presence of wild liquorice plants and sand-dwelling minibeasts, in particular a group known as “aculeate Hymenoptera” (bees, ants and wasps). The variety of post-industrial habitats also provides habitat for 35 butterfly species to flourish, as well as an array of orchids and a range of birds and mammals.

The Marford’s Magnificent Minibeasts project is funded by Welsh Government’s Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme, administered by Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA). This funding will support staff, contractors and volunteers to maintain and enhance the mosaic of habitats at Marford Quarry Nature Reserve, focusing on improving conditions for invertebrates.

You may have already seen some of the major groundworks we’ve recently undertaken on site to make new habitats for invertebrates – using tractors and diggers! Over the next few months, we will also be making significant improvements to visitor experience on site, with lots of exciting ideas in the pipeline – watch this space!

On top of all this, we will be working to provide a lot more interpretation on site for visitors, we will host a variety of exciting events, and will even commission some enormous minibeast sculptures to bring the place to life!