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Have you ever looked up at a dark sky and wondered what was out there and do you want a unique gift for Christmas with the proceeds used to reconnect people with and enhance nature? Here is your chance to find out at the next in the series of Living Landscape Lectures hosted by Torfaen CBC and jointly sponsored by WECAN and Rhymney Brewery.
Dark Sky Wales will be providing a fascinating talk about the night sky and their work in promoting sky watching here in Wales. This is an opportunity to learn more about what is fast becoming a growing tourism activity here in the Valleys and Wales as a whole. After the talk you can have a go at using the telescopes and experiencing the mobile planetarium.

Power Media Management Ltd. is a publishing house with offices in Swansea and London. A new publication, SME Wales, targeted at SMEs in the Principality, was launched in January. The company has agreed a discounted 12 month PR deal, as part of its commitment to being a ‘responsible business’, to enable WECAN to promote this agenda and the related benefits to businesses, the environment and communities.
The WECAN business engagement articles published to-date are:
Book your place and raise your glass at a business networking event with a difference…The brewer and Dark Sky Wales are jointly hosting an innovative event facilitated by WECAN, as part of the wefundthevalleys initiative.
The event is Friday 6-9pm, 15 November at the new Rhymney Brewery Visitor Centre, adjacent to Big Pit, in Blaenavon. There are only 60 tickets available at a cost of £6. Please download and complete and post the booking form and your cheque to confirm your place.

The Living Landscape series of lectures continue in August with an opportunity to “Learn about real ale at Rhymney Brewery”. The event is the second of a monthly series of twelve lectures and activities supported by the Valleys Regional Park / WECAN Project and Rhymney Brewery (www.rhymneybreweryltd.com), with half the events taking place at the new Rhymney Brewery and Visitor Centre, adjacent to Big Pit: National Coal Museum in Blaenavon.
Taking place on Tuesday 20 August at the Rhymney Brewery Visitor Centre at 6pm, this month’s lecture is hosted by Steve Evans, the Managing Director of Rhymney Brewery. Come along to find out more about the history of the brewery, the benefits of drinking real ale and the links to the natural environment. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a tour of the brewery visitor centre and take part in a tasting session. Entry is FREE but places are limited so booking is essential. Download the event poster.

Cognation Ltd., a social enterprise, was formed in 2010 to make this investment more sustainable and benefit the wider community. As a result businesses and the public are being encouraged to donate their time or money (see http://bit.ly/134qWBJ).


Ideal weather and fantastic activities brought nearly 5,000 visitors to the Go Wild! event in Pontllanfraith, in June, to mark the beginning of Biodiversity Week in Wales. One out of every three mouthfuls of food depends on pollination and yet half of our 27 bumblebee species are in decline so there was an opportunity to imaginatively mix fun and education.
For example, children fought for the survival of their hive on the ‘Battle of the Bees’ obstacle course by collecting as much pollen as they could whilst being sprayed with water; they threw seed-bombs to create a wildflower meadow, helped to build a bee hotel and nailed together a bee box to take home with them.

The Living Landscape series of lectures will burst into life in July with a talk on “Archaeology in the Blaenavon World Heritage Site”. The event is the first of a monthly series of twelve lectures and activities supported by the Valleys Regional Park / WECAN Project and Rhymney Brewery (www.rhymneybreweryltd.com), with half the events taking place at the new Brewery and Visitor Centre, adjacent to Big Pit.
This month’s lecture, on Tuesday 16 July at the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre at 6pm, is hosted by Torfaen County Borough Council’s Community Heritage Development Officer. Come along to find out more about the Scheduled Ancient Monuments within Blaenavon. Entry is FREE but places are limited so booking is essential.
Following on from this lecture on Friday 26 July, 1-3pm, visitors will have a chance to experience archaeology in action and participate in an archaeological dig, with the opportunity to excavate and record archaeology at Llanyrafon Manor, which also coincides with the CBE (Council for British Archaeology) Festival of Archaeology 2013 running from 13-28 July across the UK. Places limited, booking essential.


















