Dyfi 360 landscape - for people and wildlife

Dyfi 360 is located in the Cors Dyfi reserve in Wales, a restored river estuary, which is managed by The Montgomery Wildlife Trust. An HLF grant supported the construction of an observatory where visitors can view a pair of nesting ospreys and their chicks.

Ospreys migrate each year from Africa arriving in Wales for the summer months to breed, but were hunted to extinction in Wales in the early 20th century. Since the early 2000s, however, they have started to make a come-back and now return to the reserve each year.

A new boardwalk and observatory, with a lift, make viewing the ospreys accessible to everyone. Inside, visitors can get a closer look with telescopes and live-streamed videos of the nest, which are also watched by a larger audience via the Dyfi 360 website. Offering interpretation materials in Welsh and English is a priority, so that visitors (including many locals), can learn about these impressive birds of prey in their native language.

Ultimately, the observatory enables more people to make memorable connections with their environment and its wildlife, and the education offered here helps sustain the continued conservation of the reserve and the ospreys.