Day 7 - Estuary Day

“Bora Da!” That’s “Good day!” in Welsh. Today we continued our time here in Wales, where the two main languages are Welsh and English. Welsh is a Brythonic Celtic language that is in a different classification than the Goidelic Celtic languages, such as Irish and Scottish Gaelic.



Representing the Bulls in the Irish Sea!

Today was a very interesting day. We all started off being very excited for our hike. We soon found out it was a 10 mile walk through the woods. As we all piled into our very tight, very hot, no air-conditioned van (since the coach driver’s belt needed fixing), we drove off to the coast of Barmouth and into a town called Dolgellau to start our journey along the estuary.

Cordgrass

As we walked along, we stopped frequently to talk about things we saw. We observed ivy, oak, maple, sycamore, rosebushes, holly, and Japanese knotweed. Some of us knew of these already. For the others, Dr. Smith pointed them out.

Ducks go for a swim.

We also worked on some ideas of the management of the area and how Snowdonia National Park officials had to work to keep the walkway safe while also keeping its natural feel. The walkway used to be an old railway. However, it now looks completely different and doesn’t even have the old railway ties. The only thing that is still there is the old railway hut that a lot of little kids play in.

Next, we looked at a saltmarsh and saw cordgrass and the soil in which it grows. This includes soil full of silt and clay one meter below the water table. This area was one of the first places we really got to see some wildlife including ducks, swans, herons, and some fish. 

Some other interesting things we saw throughout the walk included a flyover from some Royal Army training jets, the mine from which the gold that was used to make the queen’s wedding band was retrieved, and a house that Charles Darwin called home for a short time.




Darwin House

After heading back to town for a late lunch / early dinner, we travelled back to the estuary, this time from the panoramic view. This gave us a bird’s eye view of where we had walked this morning from across the river.  From here, we could see the whole area comprised of Snowdonia National Park and a little town next door.

Panoramic View of the Panoramic View

We started the discussion on policy with a question—do rocks have rights?  The purpose of the question was to get us thinking about who is more important—humans or nature. Then we were asked to think about how much value the natural landscape has. Also, should endangered species have more value than common species? Perhaps those species which contribute most to the ecosystem and to human society should have the most value.

Justin: "Hmmm...Do rocks have rights?"
Kyra: "Cheeeeeeese!"

These are questions that come up in the planning field on a daily basis. For example, developers are constantly trying to get permission to install a marina in the water right next to Snowdonia. If it were proposed inside of the national park, the application would be shot down immediately because there are a lot of land use restrictions inside the park. But it is still a contentious issue right outside the park for a few reasons. For one, environmental groups are concerned about the effect on the fish and other wildlife in the area. One resident voiced her fear that her sheep business would be harmed in the process. But the biggest issue may have been that a marina would ruin the pristine character of the area. Supporters of the marina think that it would boost economic development for the nearby city and would also add to the tax base for that city.

It is a perfect example of the constant struggle between environmental protection and development. There are benefits to both, but there needs to be a balance.

Thanks for reading the Dynamic Duo’s wicked amazing blog. Now we are off to go swim in the Irish Sea!

- B&B

Sponsorship towards the creation of some of the materials for the Study Abroad in the UK trip provided by the Office of Undergraduate of Research.