Another day, more biodiversity! On day three of Wales Biodiversity Week I explored another of my local nature reserves, Howardian, a 30-odd-acre triangle of woods and meadows, at the intersection of two major Cardiff roads, which was once a domestic rubbish tip. Oh how times have changed for the better!

After more than 40 years of tireless labour, firstly by the pupils of the Howardian High School Natural History Society and now by the Friends of Howardian LNR (where would the environment be without these Friends groups!), the reserve is a treasure trove of biodiversity. You only need to look at the website galleries and the impressive species’ lists to get an idea of the richness of life in this reserve: field voles and dormice (!); slow worms and palmate newts; bees, butterflies and damselflies; chiffchaffs and whitethroats; moths and hoverflies; fungi, lichen and mosses; and, during the months of June and July (now!), a breathtaking display of native orchids.

Howardian is a superb testament to how a former urban wasteland can, with time and a ton of hard work, be revitalised into a shining example of a biodiverse environment.