For nearly a decade Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Heneb (formerly the Welsh Archaeological Trusts) and Cadw have been working collaboratively to protect and deepen our understanding of Wales’ natural and historic environments.
Last week new Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed by NRW’s Acting Chief Executive Ceri Davies, Head of Cadw Gwilym Hughes and Heneb’s Chief Executive Richard Nicholls, reinforcing the partnership between the three organizations. These agreements build on the foundations laid by previous MoUs signed in 2016 and 2020.
This renewed collaboration is a positive step forward, ensuring continued progress in safeguarding Wales’ heritage while outlining shared goals and areas of collaboration concerning both the historic and natural environments.
“The ethos of the MoU’s has often been a catalyst for working together, for the first time in some areas, and for stronger, clearer joint working in established areas.
Our MoU principles set out how we will all practically work together to ensure the historic and natural environments are an integral part of decisions affecting land management and that we have due regard for the specific duties placed upon us through legislation.
On a practical note, we have developed training events and worked in partnership to raise awareness and understanding, and to bring people together for effective joint working.” – Ceri Davies, Acting CEO for NRW
“Wales is widely recognised as a place of outstanding natural and historic landscapes shaped over thousands of years by generations of people interacting with the land.
This partnership provides a much valued platform through which practitioners passionate about the care for our precious heritage work together to support sustainable conservation and management of our natural and historic environment.
Through this agreement we have seen improved collaboration, worked together to improve our understanding of the challenges and adaptations to the nature and climate emergency and developed examples of best practice to inform future land management approaches.” – Gwilym Hughes, Head of Cadw
“Collaboration between historic environment professionals, conservationists, and land managers helps to create synergies that lead to more effective and coordinated land management strategies.
This approach ensures that our natural and cultural heritage are preserved together, for the benefit of everyone in Wales, and for future generations. Heneb – the Trust for Welsh Archaeology is therefore fully committed to strengthening this crucial partnership.” – Richard Nicholls, CEO of Heneb
