Landscape & Biodiversity
Bluestone is located in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park,
the UK´s only coastal National Park.
The site is located next to a Planted Ancient Woodland that is
home to a wide variety of trees and animals including badgers,
birds, squirrels, old oaks and spruce trees.
Before Bluestone was built, extensive surveys were carried out
to ensure development would not
harm or affect any important flora or fauna in the region. What was
identified was that Bluestone has
the opportunity to really increase the number of interesting plant
and animal species in the area
and we are working directly with the South and West Wales Wildlife
Trust to manage our landscape
and biodiversity.
All hedges and many trees around site have been protected and
date back to the tythe maps,
housing many established ecosystems.
Across the site, we have planted;
- 62,000 whips (small trees)
- 930 2 metre trees (all
native)
- 500 Standard trees (mostly
native, some ornamental)
- 1500 ornamental shrubs
- 100,000 bulbs – some ornamental,
mostly native
- ~3000 marginal and aquatic
water plants
All of these trees and plants are indigenous species, especially
grown for the Bluestone Development. We have planted Hazel, which
is a favourite habitat for the endangered Dormouse, and are
planting local oxygenating plants in the lake to encourage a wide
diversity of flora and fauna to colonise.
We are preparing a site management plan to encourage the
colonisation of natural meadow areas and have put up over 20 bird
boxes around the site to encourage birds, from woodpeckers to blue
tits.
Additionally, we will be introducing bat boxes to encourage more
bats onto the site, although there are already some pipistrells
living in the woods.
Follow the Bluestone nature trail and try and find the plants
and animals identified on our information boards, including trying
to spot the Badger who already visits the lake area, or maybe find
his tracks..!