The National Trust has warned that some of Wales' most threatened species, including the ring ouzel (mountain blackbird), are at risk of vanishing from Nant Ffrancon, a valley within the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, due to serious ecological decline. In response, a new £1m conservation scheme has been launched to restore and protect over 4,000 acres of habitat, working with local communities, tenant farmers and volunteers.

The project will focus on species such as the red-listed ring ouzel, one of the last strongholds for the bird, and rare alpine plants including the Tufted Saxifrage, of which only three individuals survived this summer's drought out of seven recorded at the start of the year across the whole of Wales. Conservation efforts, linked to the Plantlife Cymru-led Tlysau Mynydd Eryri partnership, will include ecological monitoring using indicator species like woodcock and otter, and the use of GPS livestock collars to manage grazing more precisely, alongside community volunteering and school engagement to support long-term protection of the landscape.