Pond Conservation Charity Launches New Project.
© Laurie Campbell - Common Toad.
Ponds are a vital part of our countryside, enjoyed by many, but half of our countryside ponds have been lost over the past hundred years. And of the countryside ponds that remain, almost all are in bad condition. The latest Countryside Survey found that a mere 8 % of countryside ponds are in good condition.(The Countryside Survey is carried out by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and is a regular survey of the UK countryside which investigates the change in condition of our landscape).
A major new initiative, led by the charity Pond Conservation (www.pondconservation.org.uk) was launched last week (Thurs 19 Feb) to reverse the decline and bring back clean water to the landscape. The ambitious project will double the number of UK ponds by creating half a million new ponds in the countryside.
Partners
Of course this is alot of digging and we are priviledged to be working with major conservation and land management partners. Partner organisations including Defence Estates, the Environment Agency, RSPB, Ministry of Justice and the Forestry Commission are creating hundreds of new ponds on their land. The Tubney Charitable Trust, Natural England, and the Countryside Council for Wales are funding project officers to help provide training and advice. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is also supporting the project. Wildlife organisations like Buglife and the Aquatic Coleoptera Conservation Trust are providing information about pond creation for rare species. The Herpetological Conservation Trust (The HCT) is co-ordinating part of the project, in association with the Amphibian and Reptile Groups (ARGs), to encourage the creation and management of ponds for BAP amphibians and the pond-loving grass snake.
© Laurie Campbell - Common Frog tadpole.
Alan Titchmarsh, launching the project in London said ‘Ponds are a vital part of our natural and cultural heritage, which are sadly in decline. To help put this right, I am delighted to be launching the Million Ponds Project today. This fantastic initiative will make a real difference to the British countryside and will help to protect many of our most endangered plants and animals; it’s a good news story which we can all
appreciate.’
Wildlife
The aim of the Million Ponds Project is simple: to create new wildlife-friendly ponds, the type of ponds once common in natural landscapes.
Animals and plants have evolved to live in ponds over many millions of years. The best way to protect pond wildlife today is to create waterbodies that mimic the clean wild ponds common in the past. This isn’t hard because natural ponds come in all shapes, sizes and depths, and many are tiny and seasonal! The main requirement is clean, unpolluted water.
There are over 80 endangered plants and animals that rely on ponds that will be helped in this work
www.pondconservation.org.uk/millionponds/bapspecies/bapspecies.htm
Where will the ponds be put?
© Laurie Campbell - Common Newt.
As long as the principles of clean water and low disturbance are followed, ponds can be dug more or less anywhere. The countryside is full of places to put them. Low intensity grassland, woodland, scrub, heath, moorland, coastal marshes and dune slacks are all ideal habitats. With a bit of care it’s also possible to make clean water ponds on farmland, commons, golf courses and even in urban gardens.
Advice on making new ponds
To create clean water ponds for wildlife, follow three basic principles:
1. Find a place with a clean water source.
2. Leave the pond to colonise naturally.
3. Make sure the pond is protected from damaging impacts during its lifetime.
We have a series of factsheets which are free to download, with advice on all aspects of pond creation from where to put the new ponds to pond design and how to plan the digging.
www.pondconservation.org.uk/millionponds/pondcreationtoolkit
How to get involved
In addition to the current project partners, we will also be working with many more individuals and organisations, and we will continue to build partnership with organisation who are interested in pond creation. So if you think you can dig new clean water ponds on your land please get in touch at info@pondconservation.org.uk
You can also support this vital work by making a donation www.pondconservation.org.uk/supportus