New peatland exhibition and artwork launched in Tregaron

Date and Time: Wednesday 13 April 2022 at 11am

Location: Red Kite / Heritage Centre, Tregaron, Ceredigion

A new exhibition and mosaic art mural inspired by the restoration of the landscape at Cors Caron National Nature Reserve (NNR) will be unveiled to the public on Wednesday 13 April.

The new eye-catching exhibition will provide a modern twist on the work of Natural Resources Wales’s LIFE Welsh Raised Bogs Project team at the Nature Reserve and will replace the old red kite mosaic outside the centre.

The external artwork is comprised of eight tiled mosaics designed by community artist Pod Clare and made with students at Ysgol Henry Richard Primary and Secondary School, residents of Bryntirion Care Home in Tregaron, Tregaron Family Centre, local volunteers and members of the local community.

Mary Lewis volunteers at the Red Kite Heritage Centre. Looking ahead to the unveiling, she said:

“With the National Eisteddfod coming to Tregaron this August we were keen to refresh the exhibition information and create something eye catching for visitors. We hope this work will help make the Centre a real focal point of the town.”

She said: “The new exhibition panels give a fascinating insight into Tregaron’s peat cutting history, whilst the artwork illustrates the current important conservation work taking place on Cors Caron.”

Jake White, LIFE Welsh Raised Bogs Project Manager said: “The centre contains a lot of exhibition information about Cors Caron NNR and its internationally important raised bog habitat.

“What better way to celebrate our project and the reserve than to try and create a visual illustration of it through art, and at the same time get the whole town involved.”

The mosaics are a visualisation of the restoration work carried out by the LIFE Welsh Raised Bogs Project on Cors Caron National Nature Reserve (NNR).

The mosaics show Molinia grass cutting by the unique wetland harvester machine and the creation of bunds, small level banks of peat, that have been created to hold water on the raised bog domes.

The mosaics also showcase the important plants and wildlife that call the reserve home.

The artist, Pod Clare, worked with community groups over a month and talked to them about the project and its restoration plans. Following the talk, the groups were asked to help create the mosaic tiles, which have now been placed on the Centre for visitors to enjoy.

The new exhibition and mosaic art mural will be launched at the Centre in Tregaron on Wednesday 13 April from 11am. Everyone is welcome and refreshments of tea, coffee and Welsh cakes will be provided.

The Red Kite Heritage Centre will be open to visitors from Easter Monday until September, from Monday to Friday and is free to enter.

For more information please visit our Facebook page @CyforgorsyddCymruWelshRaisedBog or Twitter page @Welshraisedbog