Trip Preswyl Ynys Echni

A reflective perspective written by Thorfinn

Persbectif adlewyrchol a ysgrifennwyd gan Thorfinn

Growing up on an island, I was excited to be offered the opportunity to go to Flatholm, (a small island in the Bristol Channel,) having been cooped up in the city for the past year without venturing out to see the rest of Wales. Arriving at the dock as the sun beamed, we were loaded on the boats and left early afternoon. The sea was flat, calm and the light was crystal clear. I was taken back by how bonny the surrounding area was and it opened my eyes to how much beauty there is around Cardiff.

Gan fy mod wedi cael fy magu ar ynys, roeddwn yn hapus iawn o gael y cynnig i fynd i Ynys Echni, (ynys fechan ym Môr Hafren,) ar ôl byw yn y ddinas am y flwyddyn ddiwethaf heb ymweld â gweddill Cymru. Gan gyrraedd y doc wrth i’r haul dywynnu, cawsom ein rhoi ar y cychod gan adael yn gynnar yn y prynhawn. Roedd y môr yn llonydd a’r golau’n gwbl glir. Cefais fy rhyfeddu gan ba mor braf oedd yr ardal amgylchynol a chefais fy atgoffa o ba mor brydferth yw Caerdydd.

After settling into the accommodation we were given a tour of the island. Despite being such a small area, the island packs a lot in. There is a bold, well maintained lighthouse, a Victorian Cholera hospital as well as several war monuments from many periods of time. Each sight we visited gave us a new insight into the history of Wales and I was in disbelief that such a tiny place could reflect such a vast amount of Welsh history.

Ar ôl setlo yn y llety cawsom daith o’r ynys. Er bod yr ardal yn fach, mae llawer i’w weld ar yr ynys. Mae goleudy amlwg sy’n cael ei gynnal a chadw’n dda, ysbyty Colera Fictoraidd yn ogystal â sawl heneb rhyfel o sawl cyfnod amser. Gyda phob safle roeddem yn cael cipolwg newydd ar hanes Cymru a chefais fy synnu gan sut all lle mor fach adlewyrchu cymaint o hanes Cymru.

The wildlife and conservation work that is on-going was also inspiring. Charities including the RSPB are working hard to study the seabird colonies there and the warden of the island and his volunteers occupy most of their time maintaining the sites there. The experience of being in and learning about the nature has changed my outlook of this part of Wales and being on the island has spiked my interested in its history and that was just from learning a few things about Flatholm. Furthermore, being outside the whole weekend helped me to re-connect with the natural environment giving me a new perspective of how people should treat nature.

Roedd y bywyd gwyllt a’r gwaith cadwraeth sy’n mynd ymlaen yn ysbrydoledig. Mae elusennau gan gynnwys y RSPB yn gweithio’n galed i astudio’r cytrefi adar môr yno ac mae warden yr ynys a’i wirfoddolwyr yn treulio’r mwyafrif o’u hamser yn cynnal y safleoedd yno. Mae’r profiad o fod mewn natur a dysgu amdano wedi newid fy marn am y rhan hon o Gymru ac mae bod ar yr ynys wedi cynyddu fy niddordeb yn ei hanes a hynny dim ond o ddysgu ychydig o bethau am Ynys Echni. Hefyd, roedd bod y tu allan am y penwythnos cyfan wedi fy helpu i ailgysylltu â’r amgylchedd naturiol, gan roi persbectif newydd i mi o sut y dylai pobl drin natur.