Country Focus

Connecting rural communities and cutting carbon emissions - a network of car clubs across rural Wales. Caroline Evans visits Llandrindod Wells to hear more. We explore Gwydyr Forest in the Conwy Valley where long-gone lead mines mean the area is now home to around 90 per cent of the world's lead Moss. The Dolphin Diet Detectives project - a new initiative of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales - receives funding to find out what species the bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay are consuming. It involves the collection of dolphin faecal samples - not an easy task - but researchers hope the study will increase our understanding of dolphin and marine conservation in the future And on International Dawn Chorus day, we hear about a new study of nest box-breeding birds by Aberystwyth University, to understand the impact of climate change on competition between birds.

Finding out what dolphins eat and which nest boxes in Aberystwyth do birds prefer?

Saving the rainbow beetle, and how old are Glenys’ runner beans?

Air Ambulance - campaigners threaten legal action over plans to close air ambulances bases in Wales We visit a heronry in Carmarthenshire to hear how their fairing after the British Trust for Ornithology reveals the latest findings from its long-running Heronries Census. Mystery beans - volunteers at the Seed Library in the Hive Community Space in Llandrindod investigate a donation of some seeds. “Glenys’ Runner Beans" have been passed down through a number of generations - but how old are they and how can they help local growers? The Snowdon beetle is believed to be down to the last thousand on the slopes of the mountain where it lives. But we hear about plans to help save it from possible extinction.

River Restoration - why the Church in Wales is involving itself in tackling the crisis facing Wales’ rivers and waterways To celebrate World Curlew Day (21st April) we meet a visual artist in Montgomeryshire who compares the plight of the Curlew to that of the now extinct Great Auk and fears for the eventual extinction of both the curlew and the village hall! Birds of Conservation Concern in Wales - the Curlew is on the Red List of Species as is our bird of the month this April - the Bittern. We hear how the reed beds at Newport Wetlands are contributing to something of a success story as their fortunes are slowly, but surely, being turned around. Cockles - how two boys are getting out in nature and keeping the tradition of cockle picking alive on the Burry inlet and the Great Glamorgan Sock Project showcasing the different sheep breeds with woolly socks!

The right tree in the right place and how it could save lives in the city. We speak to an Urban Green Infrastructure Advisor for Natural Resources Wales on the need to plant more trees in in our towns and cities for people and the planet. Tiny forests - the Welsh Government is offering grants of between ten and forty thousand pounds to plant trees in a small space under a concept of forest creation developed by a Japanese ecologist. We hear how it works at a tiny forest in Cardiff Bay. We talk pond creation in LLanwrtyd Wells - the Freshwater Habitats Trust says ponds are a critically important but undervalued part of the freshwater network. and our reporter Mariclare Carey-Jones takes her tortoise for a check up at the International Tortoise Association in the Vale of Glamorgan

From falcons and hawks to eagles and owls - Falconry Experience Wales is home to around 30 different birds of prey. It's a popular Powys wildlife tourist attraction but for owners Barry MacDonald and Luce Green their endeavours are with the conservation work and raising public awareness of the plight of raptors in the UK and abroad.

The White Hart Inn in St Dogmaels has been part of the village for 250 years, so when last orders was called for the final time, villagers refused to accept the closure of their local. They joined forces to raise nearly £250,000 to buy it and nearly 5 years on it's become a thriving community owned pub... or should that be hub?!

Spreading out through the heart of Wales, the Cambrian Mountains contain some of our darkest skies. It's a perfect location for stargazers but also for remote rural communities to embrace astro-tourism. Dark Sky Wales run regular astronomy weekends, a chance for guests to come and discover the glories of the night sky. Pauline Smith joins them for an evening of stargazing at the Meddins' family farm near Staylittle, in Montgomeryshire.

Scientists at Aberystwyth University have produced four new varieties of oats which have been approved for growing in the UK. We speak to the team leader about growing oats for the future. Time for a spring clean - we talk to a wildlife officer with RSPCA Cymru about the dangers and distress caused by litter on wild animals like hedgehogs, deer and foxes Our bird of conservation concern for this month is a bird of prey - the Kestrel And Cow Companions - the cow-hugging therapy service at a cow sanctuary in Mydroilyn, near Lampeter, Ceredigion

A cross-party investigation into the Welsh rural economy calls for the re-establishment of a Rural Development Board and greater flexibility on the Sustainable Farming Scheme. Those were just two of a raft of recommendations made in the publication this week of a blueprint for rural growth in the Welsh countryside. We speak to the Director of the Country Land and Business Association about the findings. We hear how an ambitious conservation project on the river Dee gives local children the chance to learn about the life cycle of the trout. Shifting seasons - the Head gardener of the National Trust's Dyffryn Gardens plays "spring flower roulette" as climate changes alters growth patterns ...and Ortir Apothecary, near St Dogmaels in Pembrokeshire, takes inspiration from the natural world and uses local botanicals to create perfumes anchored in a sense of time and place

Farmers and suppliers gathered in Carmarthen Mart this week amid growing uncertainty and concerns over the future farming policy for Wales, cuts to rural budgets and what they see as an attack on their way of life. Country Focus presenter, Caroline Evans attends the meeting. Meanwhile, the rural affairs minister Leslie Griffiths has rejected calls to pause the consultation into the Sustainable Farming Scheme and urges everyone to reply with their views by 7th March 2024. And the circle of life - the natural burial ground in Pembrokeshire seeking volunteers to plant trees.

Upland hill farmers fear for the future existence of their farm businesses in light of Welsh government’s scheme proposals. We visit Blas Farm - an organic vegetable farm on the Gwent Levels aiming to produce food in a sustainable way for the local community and to encourage young people into the industry. We hear how one of the world’s rarest and most endangered species of fir tree ‘coned’ for the first time in decades at Hergest Croft Gardens on the Powys-Herefordshire border and how about joining the goat club in the city of Swansea? It's for the benefit of conservation but warning - they could be too cute to resist!

Forget trees, perhaps the answer lies in the soil? Could fields be farmed to store more carbon? We speak to Dr Non Williams of the Welsh Soil project. Campaigners fear the closure of visitor centres at three beauty spots. Natural Resources Wales say Ynyslas visitor centre near Borth, Bwlch Nant yr Arian, near Ponterwyd, and Coed y Brenin, near Dolgellau are under review due to financial pressures. Birds of Conservation concern - we continue our monthly look at birds at risk in the company of Wales' ornithologists - this month we have a trio of waders at RSPB Point of Ayr reserve. The poetry trail in Pembrokeshire - why boxes are popping up on our coastal path inviting passers-by to stop and create a poem inspired by the natural world

It's the Farmer's Union of Wales' Farmhouse breakfast week! Up and down the country, rural communities this week have been joining together around the farmhouse kitchen table, for what can perhaps be described as the most important meal of the day - Breakfast! Caroline Evans visits the village of Capel Gwynfe in Carmarthenshire where the farming and rural community have gathered to eat and chat, all in support of a rural charity - this year the Air Ambulance.

From dairy to mixed farming - we visit Bremenda Isaf Farm in Llanarthne, a Carmarthenshire Council owned holding. where they'll be growing fruit and veg for schools and care homes. We visit the village of Hermon in Pembrokeshire where they're breathing new life back into empty buildings for community use. Wales is blessed with an extensive coastline but we ask how ocean literate as a nation are we? and snowdrops, catkins and frogspawn - we're spotting the first signs of spring!

Where the land meets the sea there is a rich, but fragile habitat - but what can it tell us about the health of our shores? The Shore Search Intertidal Surveys project monitors that sea life to better understand the effects of pollution, climate change and invasive alien species. Pauline Smith joins the marine team of the North Wales Wildlife Trust and volunteers at Criccieth beach on the Llŷn peninsula to discover more.

Before the introduction of steam engines and tractors to work the land Shire horses were once essential for the farm. Today, however, these heavy horses are considered to be a rare and endangered breed. Caroline Evans visits a tourist attraction in Pembrokeshire, where the family have increased the number of breeding shires they keep in order to try and sustain the breed. Indeed, on the day Country Focus visits a new arrival has just been born! The Dyfed Shire Horse Farm in Eglwyswrw boasts royal links, providing horses to the Household Cavalry over the years, with Major Apollo, or Ed as he was known on the farm, this year leading the horses in procession for King Charles III's coronation.

With its white berries and rounded drooping leaves, mistletoe is often used in our Christmas decorations - but where do those traditions come from? Caroline Evans visits the mistletoe auctions in Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire and an orchard in Gwent to hear how this distinctive plant is good for wildlife and how it has become steeped in our folklore and festive traditions. And the Country Focus team would like to wish all our listeners a joyous and healthy Christmas!

Rebranding Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to National Landscapes to reflect their natural beauty and important role in climate change, conservation and wellbeing. We head to the rocky shores of Anglesey for our bird of the month. The purple sandpiper is a wader that likes our winters! Are you away for Christmas? Who's looking after the hens? We hear from the Cosy Hen Co in Monmouthshire providing Hennels, or hotels for poultry! And earthy paints - we meet an artist from Powys who has taken her love of the natural world and started a business making paint from soil