In this episode of Smart Forest Radio, we are in conversation with Gethin Davies, senior project manager at Celtic Rainforest Wales, about efforts to restore temperate rainforests across four Special Areas of
Conservation
(SACs) in
Wales
. Gethin discusses how the initiative is using technologies, such as
drones
, LiDAR, electric collars, and the INNS (Invasive Non-Native Species) Mapper
app
, to monitor and manage these habitats, while noting their limitations alongside the continued importance of people on the ground. He explains two complementary
monitoring
strands: a socioeconomic assessment and an ecosystem benefits survey. The conversation further touches on community engagement activities and the role of Welsh folklore and language in connecting people to the land.
Interviewers: Jennifer Gabrys and Phoebe Hamilton Jones
Producer: Harry Murdoch
Listen on Apple and Spotify
This radio episode was produced by the Smart Forests project funded by the European Research Council. Smart Forests is led by Professor Jennifer Gabrys and is based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Header image: Coed Felenrhyd and Llennyrch, part of the Meirionnydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites SAC in Wales. Source: Celtic Rainforests Wales, https://celticrainforests.wales/coed-felenrhyd-llennyrch.
Smart Forests Atlas materials are free to use for non-commercial purposes (with attribution) under a
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
To cite this radio episode:
Davies, Gethin, Jennifer Gabrys, and Phoebe Hamilton Jones, "Gethin Davies: Restoring the Celtic Rainforest with Community and Technology," Smart Forests Atlas (2026), https://atlas.smartforests.net/en/radio/gethin-davies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.130353.