A Petiton For Action:
Bonus Blog: The Petition That Planted A Seed – Rewilding Pont-Y-Pandy Begins
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome back again Sometimes, change doesn’t start with thunder or spectacle but with quiet, determined footsteps through woodlands. Over the years, I’ve walked those trails in Pont-Y-Pandy more times than I can count. Watched bramble reclaim forgotten paths. Watched syringes sparkle in ditches where there should’ve been snowdrops. And every time I returned, the land spoke a little louder. Not in words, no but in need.
It was 2019 when I first made the call to action public. Not a political outcry or polished press release, just a straightforward message carried from the woodland floor to the digital commons: let us rewild. And so, with little more than a local's heart and a lifetime's worth of learning, I launched a petition to give permission official permission to rewild Pont-Y-Pandy Woodlands.
Click here to read and support the petition
This wasn’t just about planting trees. No. This was about healing land, place, and people alike. By the time the petition was live, the groundwork had already been laid. Years of field trials, community talks, and digital re-education. We had tested risk assessments in 2018. We had raised local awareness in late 2019 with local press, removing needles in the underbrush while cameras rolled for the first time. And then came the Rewilding Trial itself "Project Lula", not just a title, but a turning point. The petition symbolised something more. It was a line drawn gently in the soil not in defiance, but in care. An offering to local authorities and neighbours alike: let us do this right. With guidance, not rebellion. With restoration, not replacement. Because when land is loved, it gives back. And Pont-Y-Pandy had been left unloved for far too long. I can still remember uploading it, hand trembling slightly, mouse hovering over “Publish.” It felt like standing on a cliff edge only to realise you’ve been building a bridge beneath your feet all along.
The response was quiet at first. But meaningful. Locals whispered encouragement. Former skeptics turned curious. And most importantly, the woodlands began to feel seen again. The world would soon pause COVID-19 just around the corner but the petition, that seed, was already rooted. So if you’re reading this, and you’ve walked those woods or wished to, or simply believe that forgotten places deserve a second breath this petition is for you. Not just as a signature, but as a step. A declaration that rewilding isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity. Especially now.
So Ladies and Gentlemen, Let this be our beginning. Not a battle cry, but a shared breath, until the next time… Take care.
Michael “Druid” Thomas
Lunacare Cymru | Media - Blog
