Carneddau 

Mountains that keep secrets, the Carneddau are so much more than a wide open place to stride out and breathe deep. They hold hidden landscapes. Look closer and you can find  signs of a past populated with meaning.  In the Carneddau the lives of real people through the centuries have become intimately entwined with story and legend.   

Today in the Carneddau local people are once again at the centre of the action.  A major project is opening up opportunities to learn, enjoy and above all help to restore and care for the Carneddau’s treasures.   

• Starting from the top, the Carneddau’s precious montane heath is a conservation crown, a jewel of a habitat with specialist plants and insects that link Eryri directly to the tundra of arctic and alpine regions.   
• Across the slopes endemic Carneddau ponies graze amongst cotton-grass and heather, hardy animals in a challenging environment.   
• Around the lower slopes complex patterns of freshwater, trees and woodlands, meadows and pasture form a living mosaic for nature and exploration. 

The Carneddau Landscape Partnership is generating lots of projects and events, helping to regenerate a sense of belonging and pride in this remarkable place. Cymdeithas Eryri Snowdonia Society has played an active role from the start and today we’re one of the core partners in this major project supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.  The other core partners are Snowdonia National Park Authority, the National Trust, Natural Resources Wales and CADW. As a core partner we help to steer the project and oversee its governance.   

On the ground we are also a delivery partner, working directly with local people and community groups.  Our practical work is delivered by staff and volunteers, creating opportunities for people to get directly involved in looking after the Carneddau.  Recently we’ve lots of volunteering and training opportunities focused on controlling the invasive plant species Himalayan balsam, protecting archaeological sites and managing habitats for rare birds such as chough.  

Get involved! If you’d like to learn more, go to our volunteering page and sign up to receive updates on activities in this and other practical work across Eryri.