Community Involvement

Awareness of the unique quality of Swansea’s natural environment, and the immense benefits it brings to our quality of life, needs to increase at all levels and across all sectors, especially amongst decision makers. Further action and resources are also needed to encourage and support all communities, particularly disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities, to interact more with the natural environment, to contribute to decision making about their neighbourhoods and to take an active role in managing and improving them.

Conservation projects can provide considerable opportunities for volunteering and training, which can lead to increased confidence, skills development, social rehabilitation and employment. However, effective community involvement in environmental projects and enhancement schemes needs to be backed up with good information, advice and support.

The varied landscapes and ecology of the City and County of Swansea, including parks, nature reserves and other green spaces, provide a vast range of source material for environmental education and there is potential to make more effective use of the natural environment as a teaching resource for local schools, colleges and adult education. There is a particular need for resources to support effective outdoor learning and school grounds development.