Brecon Beacons in Wales takes its name from Bannau Brycheiniog | changed UK news
The Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales has a new name as it launches plans to deal with the current climate and environmental crisis.
From today it will be known as Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, it has been announced.
The Welsh name is pronounced Ban-eye Bruck-an-iog – or Bannau for short.
Bannau is the Welsh plural for peaks and Brycheiniog refers to the ancient kingdom of King Brychan who lived in the fifth century.
Its CEO said the name Brecon Beacons — which refers to wood-burning, carbon-emitting beacons — no longer fits the park’s ethos.
The park’s logo with a fiery beacon was also removed.
The new name reflects its plan to manage the impact of the global climate and environmental crisis on the park over the years, as well as its goal to be net zero by 2035.
It also plans to meet the health, economic, recreational, and housing needs of the people who live and visit the park by 2028.
Catherine Mealing-Jones, CEO of the park, said: “Given that we are trying to lead on decarbonization, a huge burning brazier doesn’t look good.
“Our park is shaped by Welsh people and Welsh culture and as we looked into it we realized what brand we have and what name we have, it’s a bit of nonsense, it doesn’t make sense – the translation means Brecon Beacons not really anything in Welsh.
“We’ve always had the name Bannau Brycheiniog as a Welsh translation and we just felt we needed to put that name front and center to express the new way we saw the Welsh people, the Welsh culture, the Welsh food and wanted to celebrate Welsh farming – all the things that have to go with us as we go through this change in management plan.’
The launch was promoted with a short film starring Welsh actor Michael Sheen and written by Welsh novelist, poet and playwright Owen Sheers.
It begins by showing Sheen in a beautiful setting, but soon transitions to less picturesque images of the park with dumped garbage, polluted water, and wildfires.
The film also talks about the lack of job opportunities for young people in the area.
The new plan envisages restoring tree cover, wetlands, hedgerows, peat bogs and wildflowers to attract wildlife, while introducing local renewable energy sources such as small wind turbines.
People are encouraged to farm in ways that benefit nature, such as: For example, limiting grazing to certain areas, wintering cover crops for birds to eat, and not applying manure or fertilizer where it could contaminate watercourses.
Helen Roderick, the park’s sustainable development manager, said a group of six farmers are sharing hydrological maps with other farmers to help them avoid pollution.
She said: “It’s just simple measures, but things that are very effective. Also, they have installed weather stations on four or five farms.
“These are open via an app to any farmer who wants to understand the rain, wind and soil conditions to ensure they are doing what they are doing at the right time in the right weather conditions.”
Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls came under fire after they joked they were struggling to pronounce the park’s new name and didn’t get the point of the change.
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