What can one Welsh hill farm tell us about how we can help nature to thrive?

Conservationist David Elias is more than aware that we need new ways to resolve the seemingly irreconcilable differences between those wanting to protect wildlife and the farmers whose livelihoods depend on upon the land.

By exploring one farm in the Eryri National Park, David unpacks what it shows us about the gritty reality of what it really takes to ensure farming families remain on the land while simultaneously allowing nature to flourish. 

David Elias is a naturalist who worked in conservation for nearly thirty years, in places ranging from Malawi to the Berwyn Mountains. Shaping the Wild is his first book.

Jonathan Wilkinson grew up on his father’s dairy farm at Dyffryn in the Meifod Valley. His grandfather had purchased Dyffryn in 1955 and Jonathan took over the full running of the farm in 2000. Under his stewardship the Pendyffryn herd of pedigree Holsteins went from strength to strength, winning the North Wales Champion Herd for four consecutive years to 2022. Rooted in the Meifod Valley, Jonathan is currently the NFU Cymru Dairy Board Chair and has a wide interest in all aspects of farming.