Ensure that the pond has gently sloping sides so that creatures can easily crawl in and out. This also enables birds and other animals to use the pond for drinking. Plant the sides with native marginal plants that provide cover for frogs etc. and put oxygenating plants in deeper water to improve the water quality. Don’t be tempted to put fish in the pond as they will not only eat any tadpoles or young newts but also the invertebrate larvae.
Small ponds do need frequent clearing out as they tend to get overgrown with plants but try to do this in autumn or winter rather than the spring or summer and only do half the pond in any one year. Leaving the raked out material on the edge of the pond for a while will allow any larger pond creatures to move back to the pond before the material is taken away.
Picture by Teresa Sabin