Five young people in the Bannau Brycheiniog have been awarded a prize for their entries in the National Park’s Welsh language writing competition.
The National Park challenged schoolchildren to write about natural treasures that they have discovered in their corner of the Park during lockdown.
The competition was launched to mark Wales Outdoor Learning Week (19 – 25 April). Co-ordinated by Natural Resources Wales and the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning. The aim of Wales Outdoor Learning Week is to encourage and inspire teachers, learning groups and families across Wales to connect with nature and the natural world through school and family life. During the last year children across the Park have been spending more time connecting with their local natural environment and discovering what makes the National Park such a special place to live. This competition gave young writers the opportunity to put pen to paper and capture those outdoor adventures and connections with nature from the last year in Welsh.
A total of 24 entries were received. The five winners, listed below, have been gifted with a Columbia backpack and a voucher to spend at the National Park visitor centre.
Erin-Lois Coyle – Ysgol Calon Cymru
Eleri Price – Ysgol Calon Cymru
Brynach Skinner – Ysgol Calon Cymru
Rosie Evans – Ysgol Gwernyfed
Poppy Evans-Knight – independent entry
The winning entries can be read by clicking here.
Poppy Evans, pictured with her prize, wrote a short piece about Sugar Loaf. “Sugar Loaf is my favourite mountain,” she said. The competition has inspired Poppy to learn more about the stories inspired by the landscape of the Beacons. She has been captivated by the mythology Llyn y Fan Fach. “My next adventure will be to see the ‘Lady of the Lake'”, she said.
Jon Gruffydd, Education Officer for the National Park said, “We thoroughly enjoyed reading the entries for this competition and would like to thank all the children who got involved. Writing about nature is a wonderful way to establish a connection with the landscape. The Welsh language is our past, our present and our future. We were delighted that so many children engaged in the competition with such enthusiasm.”
The Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority is committed to promoting the Welsh language across the park. This competition is part of their wider efforts to help the language flourish.