AN ENORMOUS adder came out of hibernation last week to deliver an important conservation message and open an exhibition with a difference at Oriel y Parc, St Davids.

Gwiber, the giant adder, was welcomed by the local community as she returned from her winter sleep to open the Adders are Amazing exhibition.

The five-metre long lantern puppet was made by local artist Emily Laurens and pupils from Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, Ysgol Croesgoch and Roch Community School.

She first featured in the lantern parade on St Davids Airfield in the Autumn then she went off to hibernate and dream up solutions to our local wildlife's problems, which she revealed at Oriel y Parc last week.

Adder numbers are believed to be dropping at an alarming rate, a trend being seen in a wide range of species which we once knew to be common, including hedgehogs, birds and a large number of insects.

Gwiber told to families, teachers and community members that we all need to work quickly to save our diminishing wildlife.

She encouraged her audience to set aside places for wild things in gardens, or on land they own or manage which can help conserve these habitats and animals.

She also told them to think about how to reduce their effect on climate change, which is affecting so many animals and plants, by driving less, eating less meat and using less plastic.

Gwiber then opened the exhibition, being held in the Tower Gallery at Oriel y Parc until April 13.

The exhibition contains some exceptional pieces of art, created by the local school children through the Adders are Amazing project, led by Dr Sam Langdon of Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK.

It also showcases a beautiful adder quilt, crafted by the Stitchy Witches, a local sewing group using natural dyes from the adder's local environment

"Working with Emily, we helped the children create beautiful adder artworks, as a way of getting the children to think differently about adders," said Sam.

"These animals are so misunderstood, feared and hated by many. We believe that if we want to save them, we need to help people see them for what they really are - beautiful, peaceful and timid creatures, with no intention to harm us.

"They are only trying to cling on and survive in the few places they are left in the UK. We thankfully have some populations left in Pembrokeshire, so we wanted to help the community embrace and champion them, before it is too late and we lose them here too.

"The National Park have been absolutely wonderful in their support of the project. It is on the coastal areas of the National Park and on National Trust Land that adders now try to survive. Working in partnership as we have been doing so well, we hope to safeguard these incredibly important areas for adders".

For more information on the project and how you can get involved, visit their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/addersareamazing/ or follow them on Twitter: @AddersAmazing