Tŷ Hafan Family Saturdays

Antonella Chiappa, Learning Facilitator, 15 March 2024

Amgueddfa Cymru has partnered with Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice to engage children and young people with life limiting illnesses and their families with our museums and their collections.

As part of our family learning programme we hold Family Saturdays at National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans National Museum of History. As part of the Family Days, Ty Hafan families can engage in play, sensory activities and experiences, trails and crafts. For many, museum spaces can seem inaccessible and daunting places to visit but our Family Saturdays aim to engage families and show what the museum can offer everyone.

Family Saturdays occur bimonthly and are themed around the museum’s collections, from Impressionist artworks that hang in our galleries and entomology specimens in the Discovery Centre at National Museum Cardiff to bug hunts, birdsong and Iron Age roundhouses at St Fagans. Some examples of recent activity days include ‘Under the Sea’, ‘Autumn Adventure’ and 'Dino Discovery Day’! 

Sensory elements are at the core of all our family days, to make sure that the whole family gets the most out of their visit, to make memories together and to offer them a safe space to chat, meet other families and explore the museum. 

Thank you to all of the Ty Hafan families and staff and their amazing, positive energy.

The Sustainability of Wool for Sustainable Sheep Farming

Gareth Beech, 12 March 2024

As we welcome our new lambs at Llwyn yr Eos farm into the world, I’ve been watching the Welsh farmers’ protests and thinking about their future. 

A significant and contentious part of the Welsh Government’s current proposals for the future of agriculture in Wales are measures to promote environmental sustainability and the restoration of biodiversity. This could mean that in the future there might be far fewer sheep kept in Wales. Sustainable sheep farming using environmentally sensitive methods, producing high value products might be the way. How to create added value would be the challenge, though.

One current aspect of sheep farming that has been the cause of frustration for farmers for many years is the low price of wool. The price of a fleece is often not enough to pay the cost of the shearer to shear it. Some farmers have been known to burn or bury their wool rather than pay to have it collected from the wool depot. St Fagans’s wool goes to the British Wool depot in Brecon, whose mission is to drive demand for the product. There is a real need to find additional value from Welsh wool beyond its conventional use for clothing and textiles. This has led to new research into its possible uses in innovative, and sometimes surprising, new products.

 

Wool as an alternative insulation material in houses is becoming more widely known, but the range of new products and uses being developed include interior fittings for cars, a specialist ingredient for cosmetics, and insulated covers. Other products have been more ‘home-grown’, developed in gardens and on farms, as a means of finding alternative uses for wool and additional income.

Bangor University’s Biocomposite Centre has been working in partnership with Menter Môn’s ‘Gwnaed â Gwlân - Made with Wool’ project to develop new ideas.  They have identified five products with the potential for creating high value. The number one product with the highest potential earnings is Keratin, a fibrous protein which can be used in cosmetics, hair products, medicines. Keratin from wool is a viable alternative to conventional sources such as human hair and feathers, now ethically debateable, or using petroleum-based products.  

Wool’s insulation properties and natural moisture and temperature controls could also be used in covers for trolleys carrying refrigeration products in supermarkets. They could be a sustainable alternative to using foam materials such as polyurethane.

The Product Design course at Bangor University has produced prototypes for gym equipment handles, and mouldings for car interiors, as sustainable alternatives to foams and plastics. Wool is used with bio-resins made from renewable and biodegradable sources such as plants and wood pulp.

The ‘Solid Wool Company’ is already using the method to produce their ‘Hembury’ solidwool chairs using Welsh Mountain wool, described as creating ‘a striking marbled effect, showcasing the unique layering of textures and tones found in this incredible wool’.

At Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard, Conwy County, mats of wool are laid on the ground at the foot of the vines, deterring pests and weeds, reducing the need to spray chemicals. The fleeces also reflect the sunlight on to the grapes.  Significantly, the quality of the wine has also improved.

In a similar way, wool mats are also effective in vegetable gardens. Repairing footpaths using wool as a base is being tried on Anglesey. It’s a way of trying to find a more sustainable method using a locally produced product, instead of a man-made membrane.

 

With such a range of new and sustainable uses, l hope the lambs we see being born today will have their fleeces put to good use in the future in sustainable sheep farming, in a sustainable environment.

For more information about the story of wool, visit our National Wool Museum in Dre-fach Felindre, Carmarthenshire.  

Lambing Challenge for Schools: Win free workshops at Amgueddfa Cymru!

Ffion Rhisiart, 4 March 2024

We are delighted to launch an upcoming new Lambing Challenge for Schools hosted by Amgueddfa Cymru. The winning school will be able to book up to 2 workshops either in person at one of our sites or virtually, from the advertised list on our museum website.

We believe Lambcam sessions are fun and insightful for students, but also an opportunity to foster their curiosity about the world around them.

We want to know how you are using Lambcam in your schools - show us your best moments in class using our Lambcam sessions with the students!

 

Challenge Details

  • Age Group: 5-14 years
  • Date: 4th - 22nd March 2024
  • How to Participate: Share photographs, videos and artworks on X (formerly Twitter) and don’t forget to tag us using @Amgueddfa_Learn and #Lambcam #Sgrinwyna. If submitting multiple entries from the same school, please mention your class details in the post as well.
  • Prize: The winning school will be able to book up to 2 workshops either in person or virtually, from the advertised list on our museum website.  

 

Terms and Conditions

  • Entry through X (formerly Twitter) only – please share your photos by tagging @Amgueddfa_Learn and using the hashtags #Lambcam #Sgrinwyna
  • No limit on the number of entries. Schools can have as many classes as they like to participate.
  • Winners will be randomly selected and will be notified by Wednesday 10th of April.
  • The prize is valid for any Amgueddfa Cymru site, subject to availability.
  • The number of pupils must not exceed 60 and is the equivalent to 2 workshops either in person or virtual, from the advertised list on our website.
  • The prize is valid until the end of summer term / end of July 2024. 
  • Workshop dates will be based on availability at the time of arranging a trip. 

 

Should you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us at lambing@museumwales.ac.uk

 

We look forward to receiving your creative and insightful submissions!

Croeso nôl | Welcome back - Lambcam 2024

Ffion Rhisiart, 1 March 2024

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

We are delighted to be launching this year’s #lambcam on St David’s Day. This is a special year as we’re also celebrating the 10th year that we have streamed live from the lambing sheds at St Fagans! Lambcam 2024 is once again brought to you by a small but dedicated team, who will stream the action live from our lambing shed on 1-22 March between 8am-8pm (GMT).

The Lambcam team is joined by two Amgueddfa Cymru Producers, Howl and Varsha, who will both take turns controlling the camera. They are also busy creating behind-the-scenes footage for Lambcam Extra that will be shared on Amgueddfa Cymru’s social media pages:

Facebook | St Fagans National Museum of History 
Facebook | Amgueddfa Cymru[FR1] [ED2]  
Instagram | Amgueddfa Cymru 
X | Amgueddfa Cymru Learning Department

We're expecting 492 lambs in total with a lambing rate of 190% – it’s promising to be a bumper year! The main headline for us as we start our lambing season is the number of multiples we are anticipating from the December scans. On average, we would expect anything up to 10 sets of triplets per year, but 2024 brings a new record for us with a total of 29 sets of triplets due! We are also expecting 1 set of quads, the first in a few years so there is a lot of excitement for their arrival too.

We currently have all the ewes expecting twins in the larger lambing shed, marked with 1 green dot on their backs. The singles, triplets and quad are in the smaller shed across the yard at the moment but they will be moved once more lambs are born and more space comes available in the larger lambing shed.

We welcome hundreds of schoolchildren to St Fagans and Llwyn-yr-eos Farm during the lambing season every year, but we also know that Lambcam is enjoyed in classrooms across the country, and we would love to hear from you! This year, we are launching a special challenge for schools watching online – more details about this will be announced next week.

For more information about our sheep at lambing time, check out these blogs from previous years: 

 

We hope you enjoy watching again this year – and please keep in touch with us by leaving comments on the Lambcam webpage or on socials using #lambcam #sgrinwyna 

 

Does Lambcam have you bleating with joy? Shear the love and donate today!


Exploring the Magic of Spring: A Season of New Beginnings

Penny Dacey, 23 February 2024

Hi Bulb Buddies! There’s something in the air at the moment, as winter begins to turn into Spring. You may have noticed blooming flowers, chirping birds, and longer days? These are some of the earliest signs that springtime is coming! Let's dive in and explore some of the exciting changes that you might notice as this season draws closer.

 

What is Spring?

Spring is one of the four seasons that we experience each year. It comes after winter and before summer. During spring, the days become warmer, and nature starts to wake up from its winter snooze. In the UK Spring begins in March, so it’s still a few weeks away. But there are lots of signs that it’s coming. 

 

The Early Signs of Spring:

  • Blossoming Flowers: One of the first signs of spring is the appearance of colorful flowers. Keep an eye out for daffodils, crocus, tulips, cherry blossoms, and many more as they start to bloom and paint the world with their vibrant hues.

  • Singing Birds: Have you noticed the cheerful melodies filling the air? That's the sound of birds returning from their winter migrations and singing to attract mates or establish territories. Listen closely, and you might even hear the distinctive songs of robins, sparrows, and finches.

  • Buzzing Bees and Butterflies: As the flowers bloom, they attract busy bees and fluttering butterflies. These important pollinators play a crucial role in helping plants reproduce. Watch them flit from flower to flower, collecting nectar and pollen.

  • Greening of Trees: Look around, and you'll notice the leaves on trees starting to unfurl. Spring brings new growth, transforming bare branches into lush green canopies. It's a sign that life is returning to the land.

  • Warmer Weather: Bid farewell to chilly days as spring brings warmer temperatures. It's time to shed those bulky winter jackets and enjoy the gentle sunshine.

  • Baby Animals: Spring is a time of birth and renewal. Keep an eye out for baby animals like ducklings, lambs, and bunnies as they make their debut in the world. You can watch for new lambs on the LAMBCAM from 1 March: Lambcam 2024 (museum.wales)

  • Rain Showers: Don't forget your umbrella! Spring often brings showers that help nourish the earth and support new plant growth. So, embrace the rain and splash in the puddles.

  • Longer Days: Have you noticed that the days are getting longer? That's because spring marks the time when the Earth's axis tilts closer to the sun, giving us more daylight to enjoy outdoor adventures.

 

Spring is truly a magical time of year, full of wonder and new beginnings. So, grab your magnifying glass, put on your explorer hat, and venture outdoors to see how many signs of spring you can spot! One might be your bulbs, have they started to grow? Can you see what colours your flowers will be yet?

You can share your photos via email or on Twitter by tagging @Professor_Plant

If this is your favourite part of the investigation so far, maybe it will inspire your entry to the BULBCAST video competition! More details on this can be found here: Bulbcast 2024 

Keep up the good work Bulb Buddies,

Professor Plant