A COUPLE who created a ‘fairyland’ for children at the Gaer Fawr woodland in Guilsfield have been told to dig up the 500 bulbs they planted by the Woodland Trust.

The County Times published an article on Andy Lewis-Pryce and Yvonne Owen's project a couple of weeks ago, which also involved painting on trees to provide an outlet for local children on their daily walks during the coronavirus lockdown.

However, the article was brought to the attention of Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales by some readers, because they were "understandably concerned about this activity in their local woods".

Coed Cadw plants trees and campaigns for better protection for woodlands and trees across the country. It also looks after more than 100 woods which remain open for visitors to explore; including Gaer Fawr in Guilsfield.

Rebecca Good from the Woodland Trust said: "We understand that the couple only have the best of intentions but we would like to remind all our visitors that they should always approach the landowner for permission before putting up any structures or installations on our land.

"Gaer Fawr is an ancient woodland in a very rural location. It supports a fantastic display of native woodland flora, valued by its visitors for its intrinsic natural beauty. Many people do not realise that the planting of exotic species can seriously threaten this natural habitat. Many garden species can be invasive and displace rare native plants, creating work for woodland managers like the Trust."

The Woodland Trust has asked the couple to remove all of the planted bulbs and any plastic items as soon as possible in order to protect the natural environment.

Ms Good added: "Planting flowers, painting trees and creating fairy doors are fantastic activities for people to enjoy in their own gardens but we feel Gaer Fawr has plenty of natural beauty and wild spaces for children to explore. If parents need ideas for fun, low-impact activities to enjoy with their children during the coronavirus crisis, there are plenty of ideas on the Trust’s Nature Detectives site. Art can be a great way to engage children with nature, but we want to do it in an appropriate and sustainable way that leaves nothing but footprints behind."

In response, Mr Lewis-Pryce said: "We will in due course be in touch with Coed Cadw when the lockdown is over and we can get to Gaer Fawr wood."

The Woodland Trust has also reiterated the government's advice and said Gaer Fawr will only remain open if those who access it are able to walk there.

Visitors must also maintain social distancing by staying at least two metres away from other people and must follow the recommended hygiene guidance.

"In some cases, we have had to take further action such as closing of car parks to deal with high volumes of visitors. We hope that this will not be necessary at Gaer Fawr but must stress that people should not make unnecessary journeys to visit our woods," Ms Good said.