PUBLIC MEETING Wednesday 9 June: evening

Setting the scene for the Dyfi Valley - making the most of our assets:
Aimed at all local people and delegates wishing to find out about the area.

7:00

Welcome from Chair - Aled Owen Griffiths, Co-Chair at ecodyfi

7:10

Where are we now? Charles Arch and Andy Rowland, ecodyfi

7:25

What does the community want? Observations led by Dyfi Valley Communities First

7:40

Development paths: Does the Dyfi Valley have a distinctive "selling point"? Brainstorm led by Andy Rowland, ecodyfi manager

8:00

The Dyfi Valley Biosphere Area / Reserve: Presentation by Peter Frost, of the Countryside Council for Wales, on the opportunities this United Nations designation can bring, including short contributions from:

• Charles Arch, ecodyfi Board member - Horticulture
• Peter Jones, Celtica manager - Culture and language
• Andy Jeffery, Aberdyfi Outward Bound - Outdoor activities
• Chris Edwards, Forestry Commission - Community involvement in forestry
• Sir John Houghton, former Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution - The proposed Aberdyfi Ecocentre

9:00

Questions and discussion

9:30

Close

MAIN DAY Thursday 10th June

Aimed at main stakeholders; advance booking essential. Held in Celtica, Machynlleth

09:00

Register

09:15

Opening from Chair - Sir John Houghton

09:20

Peter Frost, Countryside Council for Wales: The Biosphere concept, UNESCO's role and the requirements for re-designation.

09:40

Learning from the experience of others - recent developments in a similar area:
Andy Bell of the Braunton Burroughs Biosphere Reserve: Case study 1 -Braunton Burroughs, UK

09:50

Questions and discussion

10:00

Learning from the experience of others - what benefits has the designation brought about?
Doris Pokorny of the Rhön Biosphere: Case study 2 - The Rhön Biosphere, Germany

10:30

Questions and discussion

10:45

Tea and coffee. Delegates to choose which two afternoon workshops they prefer

11:15

Engelbert Ruoss of the Entlebuch Biosphere: Case study 3 - Entlebuch Biosphere, Switzerland

11:45

Questions and discussion

12:00

Some developments and opportunities in the Dyfi Valley - Peter Harper from the Centre for Alternative Technology

12:15

Alister Scott of Aberystwyth University: Involving stakeholders in sustainable land management

12:45

Questions and discussion

13:00

Lunch

WORKING GROUPS - Thursday afternoon

14:00

Chair introduces afternoon

14:10

Workshop session 1, including a 10 minute introduction

15:05

Workshop session 2, including a 10 minute introduction

Each workshop will consider the opportunities (and threats) relating to its specific topic and explore how these might be affected by an expanded Biosphere Reserve.
Topics:

1. Tourism in the Dyfi Valley. Introduction by Teresa Walters of ecodyfi and facilitation by Andy Rowland
2. Land-based industries in the Dyfi Valley. Introduction by Charles Arch and facilitation by Tom Brown
3. Culture in the Dyfi Valley. Introduction by Allan Wynne Jones and facilitation by Arfon Hughes
4. People's involvement in nature: Introduction by Nerys Wyn Davies of Gwynedd Council and facilitation by Cyril Evans

15:45

Tea and Coffee / a chance to see the outputs of the workshops and to contribute comments to them

16:25

Discussion on the way forward led by Andy Swash of Defra and the UK MaB (UNESCO) Committee

16:50

Summary from the Chair

17:00

Close

FIELD TRIPS Friday 11 June

Advance booking is essential. It will be possible to leave at Machynlleth at lunchtime or at 14.50

08:45

Plas Dolguog pick up

08:55

Machynlleth car park pick up

09:15

Cors Fochno (Borth Bog, Dyfi NNR) viewpoint (Erglodd)

09:40

Ynyslas Visitor Centre sand dunes and estuary (NNR)

10:20

Leave

10:45

Ynyshir RSPB Reserve

11:25

Leave

11:30

Dyfi Furnace former water-powered smelting site

11:50

Leave

12:10

Dyfi Eco Park and Recycling site, Machynlleth

12:30

Coach back into town and see solar installations on foot

13:00

Buffet lunch in Machynlleth

14:00

Leave for community wind turbine

14:15

75 kW wind turbine, Cilgwyn

14:35

Leave for the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) via Cemmaes Road and Machynlleth

15:00

CAT Visit

17:30

Leave for Machynlleth train station and car park

17:45

Arrive Machynlleth train station for 18:07 train