Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has been seeing at first-hand what educational activities for young people are available at a nature reserve in Llandudno Junction.
Mr Rowlands, whose Outdoor Education Bill is currently going through Welsh Parliament, was at RSPB Conwy, to find out more about what the site has to offer.
He said:
It was fantastic to see the wonderful wildlife and the opportunities for all the family to get close to nature which I believe leads to long-lasting benefits for our future generations. I particularly enjoyed watching the diving beetles in the dipping ponds.
I was also really pleased to be able to discuss my Bill and the importance of introducing young people to nature and help to build resilience in them as well as the educational activities hosted at the site.
As everyone knows, I passionately believe in outdoor education for all our young people yet sadly, too many of them do not get the opportunity to participate.
I have an aspiration that all children in Wales should be given access to an Outdoor Education residential visit at least once in their school career, regardless of where they live and their family background and that is why I proposed the Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill.
Its aim is to move residential outdoor education from an enrichment activity to an entitlement within Wales’ curriculum.
RSPB Conwy nature reserve is a wetland on the east bank of the Conwy estuary, created from material dug out during construction of the A55 road tunnel between 1986 and 1991. First opened to the public in 1995, the reserve is now home to a variety of wonderful wildlife, including warblers, waders and wildfowl and offers plenty of activities for children and families.
Children are urged to collect a bingo sheet, which encourages them to take a closer look at the wildlife on the reserve and there is always an exciting self-guided activity trail for families to follow and take part in.
All viewing hides and screens have been designed with smaller people in mind, so even the littlest birdwatcher can enjoy a good view. A variety of events and activities, are held mostly at weekends and during the school holidays, for children to get hands-on with nature.
If Sam’s Bill becomes law it will require local authorities to ensure all young people receiving maintained education are provided with the opportunity to experience residential outdoor education at some stage during their school years. It will also make it a requirement for the Welsh Government to provide funding to schools to enable them to do so.
Sam Rowlands AS yn mynd am dro yn RSPB Conwy
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ranbarth Gogledd Cymru, wedi bod i weld pa weithgareddau addysgol sydd ar gael i bobl ifanc mewn gwarchodfa natur yn y Gyffordd.
Roedd Mr Rowlands, y mae ei Fesur Addysg Awyr Agored yn mynd drwy Senedd Cymru ar hyn o bryd, yn RSPB Conwy, i ddysgu mwy am yr hyn sydd gan y safle i'w gynnig.
Dywedodd:
Roedd hi'n wych gweld y bywyd gwyllt bendigedig a'r cyfleoedd i'r teulu cyfan glosio at fyd natur, rhywbeth dwi'n credu sy'n arwain at fuddiannau hirhoedlog i genedlaethau'r dyfodol. Cefais flas arbennig ar wylio'r chwilod yn y pyllau trochi.
Hefyd, roeddwn i'n falch iawn o allu trafod fy Mil a phwysigrwydd cyflwyno natur i bobl ifanc a'u helpu i feithrin cadernid yn ogystal â'r gweithgareddau addysgol sy'n digwydd ar y safle.
Fel y gŵyr pawb, dwi'n credu'n angerddol mewn addysg awyr agored i'n holl bobl ifanc ond yn anffodus, dydy llawer gormod ohonyn nhw ddim yn cael cyfle i gymryd rhan.
Fy nod yw gweld pob plentyn yng Nghymru yn cael cyfle i fynd ar ymweliad preswyl Addysg Awyr Agored o leiaf unwaith yn ystod eu hoes ysgol, waeth lle maen nhw'n byw a beth fo’u cefndir teuluol - felly dyna pam rydw i wedi cynnig y Bil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru).
Ei nod yw symud addysg breswyl awyr agored o weithgaredd cyfoethogi i hawl o fewn cwricwlwm Cymru.
Gwlyptir ar lan ddwyreiniol aber afon Conwy yw RSPB Conwy, a grëwyd o ddeunyddiau a gloddiwyd wrth adeiladu twnnel ffordd yr A55 rhwng 1986 a 1991. Agorwyd y warchodfa gyntaf i'r cyhoedd ym 1995, ac mae bellach yn gartref i gyfoeth o fywyd gwyllt amrywiol, gan gynnwys teloriaid, rhydwyr ac adar dwr ac mae'n cynnig llond trol o weithgareddau i blant a theuluoedd.
Anogir y plant i nôl taflen bingo, sy'n eu hannog i fwrw golwg fanylach ar fywyd gwyllt y warchodfa, ac mae cyfle i deuluoedd ddilyn llwybr gweithgareddau cyffrous ar eu liwt eu hunain.
Mae'r holl guddfannau gwylio a’r sgriniau wedi'u cynllunio gyda phlant mewn cof, fel bod hyd yn oed y gwyliwr adar lleiaf yn gallu mwynhau golygfa dda. Cynhelir amrywiaeth o ddigwyddiadau a gweithgareddau, yn bennaf ar benwythnosau ac yn ystod gwyliau'r ysgol, er mwyn i'r plant gael glosio at fyd natur.
Os daw Bil Sam yn gyfraith gwlad, bydd yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol sicrhau bod pob person ifanc sy'n derbyn addysg a gynhelir yn cael y cyfle i brofi addysg breswyl awyr agored ar ryw adeg yn ystod eu blynyddoedd ysgol. Byd hefyd yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i Lywodraeth Cymru ddarparu cyllid i ysgolion i'w galluogi i wneud hynny.
