Area Covered: The communities of Abergavenny, Brynmawr, Llanelly, Llanfoist, Llanover, Pertholey, and Goytre. Including Sugar loaf, skirrid and Blorenge mountains. Fifty percent of the Blaenavon World Heritage site falls within the national Park all of which is on my patch.

Responsibilities: PROW survey’s and maintenance including liasoning with landowners, supporting our Educational staff and volunteer groups, habitat management including monitoring wildlife, visitor management, leading guided walks, and partnership working with other groups particularly the World Heritage site team.

Phone: (01873) 859867 (Abergavenny office)

E mail: Steve Smith

Initially employed by the Authority as a seasonal Warden in the spring of 2003 I progressed to the position of part time Warden and there after became full time in April 2007. I have a life time interest in natural history, particularly British Birds and have written and had published papers on this subject. I am a licensed wild bird ringer with the British trust for ornithology and have studied upland bird populations in south Wales for over twenty years.

I have a passion for habitat management, and I’m especially interested in moorland and heath land preservation and conservation methods.

I live just outside the national park near the village of cwmavon which lies between the towns of Blaenavon and Pontypool, an area I have lived in all my life.

I have many other interests, including football (I played local league for 30 years), Music (particularly Folk and Celtic), I play the Irish Bodhran drum and I’m currently learning to play guitar. Oh and a mention for my Border collie ‘Heather’ who is training hard at the moment.

My favorite walk is actually on the border of the National park. Where I live there is a stretch of Moorland called Mynydd Garn-clochdy a place I am particularly fond of. It doesn’t get the visitor pressure of other better known sites. The locals call it ‘The Devil’s heap of stones’ because of certain legends.