Restoring Boundaries, Protecting Rivers: Young Farmers Lead the Way

Young farmers join North Wales Rivers Trust staff and a local catchment farmer on the Mawddach, sharing traditional dry stone walling skills to protect river boundaries.

In the heart of Eryri National Park, young farmers are helping to protect the landscape they depend on — one wall at a time.

North Wales Rivers Trust has been working alongside local farming families to repair traditional field boundaries and keep livestock away from sensitive riverbanks. The work, carried out by young farmers from the community and supported by farmers already engaged in our restoration projects, is part of a wider effort to improve water quality, reduce erosion, and protect rare species. These boundary repairs not only safeguard rivers but also strengthen relationships between conservation and agriculture in one of Wales’s most iconic upland landscapes.

Restoration Officer Elis getting to grips with traditional methods.

NWRT CEO Laura says “We’ve worked with these farms for years.
They understand that good land management and healthy rivers go hand in hand. By involving the next generation of farmers, we’re helping to build practical skills and a shared sense of stewardship for Eryri’s waters.”

Working together to strengthen boundaries — young farmers teaming up to rebuild traditional dry stone walls that protect both land and river.

Traditional walling techniques are being used to repair and rebuild stone boundaries that have stood for centuries, keeping cattle away from streams where overgrazing and trampling can damage fragile habitats and increase sediment runoff. The project also complements the Trust’s wider natural flood management work — including peatland restoration, tree planting, and buffer strip creation.

The initiative has created a valuable opportunity for local young farmers to gain hands-on experience in heritage land management while contributing directly to environmental restoration. It’s a model that connects people, place, and purpose — showing that sustainable farming and thriving rivers can go hand in hand.

NWRT restoration officer Elis Williams “It’s great to see local skills and traditions being used to protect our rivers, We’re proud to be part of something that benefits both the land and the community.”

As the project continues, North Wales Rivers Trust hopes to expand this approach across other parts of Eryri, linking habitat restoration with local livelihoods and helping secure a resilient future for both farming and nature.