Newborough Forest (
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
: Coedwig Niwbwrch) is a
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
to the west of
Newborough, Anglesey
Newborough ( cy, Niwbwrch) is a village in the south-western corner of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales; it is in the community (Wales), community (and former Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward) of Rhosyr, which has ...
,
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
.
It is one of the most important
red squirrel
The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers ...
conservation sites in the United Kingdom. It appears increasingly likely that there are now only 500 red squirrels in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and numbers are continuing to decline.
The whole area was mainly shifting sand dunes prior to 1947 when afforestation began. During the late seventies and eighties there were concerns that the water levels within the forest and within neighbouring warren were falling, with the result that winter flooding was not to the same depth and that dune slack pools were drying out sooner.
Proposals were put forward in 2004 to remove large parts of the forest. The local community and conservation groups objected and in 2008 a public consultation was held into the future management of the Newborough woodland.
Newborough Forest is a major tourist attraction, with over 319,000 people visiting the forest in 2015.
References
{{Reflist
Rhosyr
Forests and woodlands of Anglesey