Bogtastic Day at the Botanic Gardens

Visistors at the Botanic Gardens enjoyed a day of activities to discover the ancient secrets held in Carmarthenshire’s peat bogs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A series of activities and talks were held that allowed people to explore 10,000 years worth of history of a Carmarthenshire bog. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event was delivered by the Carmarthenshire Bogs project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Visitors discovered the secrets hidden within a peat core by looking at the pollen grains and plant remains preserved within the peat, which revealed how the landscape looked thousands of years ago. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Storytellers told boggy stories and Dyfed Archaeological Trust helped people make clay pots and shale necklaces that Bronze Age people would have made who lived around the bogs thousands of years ago. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

People inspired by the bog plants and pollen grains could then make bright prints of what they had seen with Swansea Print Workshop – with wonderful interpretations of pollen and plants being produced. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Isabel Macho Biodiversity Officer said: “The day was a great chance to bring bog habitats to life for people who may never visit them in person. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Bogs are home to a wonderful range of specialist plants and animals and also help us in many ways. The peat within them stores water like a sponge – useful for helping to prevent flooding! “Healthy bogs store carbon from the atmosphere helping to reduce climate change. Bogs are still being lost and we can all help by going peat free in the garden – bog wildlife depends on peat but gardeners don’t.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​