Ponds are often much loved and enjoyed by local people especially in villages and small towns. However, over the past 50 years many of these small water bodies have disappeared at an alarming rate through infilling, drainage or neglect. It is more important than ever that we map the distribution and general health of those that remain so that appropriate management and maintenance measures can be put in place to preserve the wonderful wild creatures that live in and around them. Ponds can contain a surprising variety of native wildlife and surveying them can be great fun.
So, pull on your wellies and get prepared to enter the wonder world of wetland wildlife!
Why are ponds so special…?
In 1890 thre were approximately 1,250,000 ponds in Britain, today only around 400,000 remain. Over 65% of all Britain’s freshwater species live in ponds. This is more than live in lakes or rivers. Ponds therefore contain exceptional numbers of rare or threatened species – 82 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species can be found in ponds.
Up until now many ponds have not had the protection they perhaps deserve, but in 2007 the UK Biodiversity Action Plan gave ponds ‘Priority Habitat’ status.
Please
click here to read the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan for Ponds.
To view
Norfolk's Pond Habitat Action Plan please
click here.
Aiming for a million…
The Million Ponds Project aims to create a countrywide network of new ponds. Ultimately the goal is to encourage individuals and community groups to help reverse a century of pond loss and ensure the UK has over one million countryside ponds one again.
A critical element of the project is that these new ponds will have clean water. This is important because most countryside ponds are now badly damaged by pollution, and evidence shows that pond wildlife is declining across the UK. Making new clean ponds is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect freshwater wildlife.
Find more information on the Million Ponds Project, please visit the
Freshwater Habitats Trust website.
Watch out for aliens!
Invasive non-native plants and animals have serious impacts. They can reduce biodiversity, negatively impact upon the economy, increase the risk of flooding and even threaten our health! In response to the threats posed by these species, the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership launched their Norfolk Non-native Species Initiative to promote the eradication and control of invasive non-native species already established in the county, and to prevent the introduction of further species. For more information, visit their website at www.norfolkbiodiversity.org
A major hurdle for the Initiative to overcome is the lack of available information on the distribution of non-native species in Norfolk. This makes it difficult to develop meaningful management plans. If you suspect your ponds have been invaded by alien plant species but are uncertain of identification, take a photograph of the plant and send it to Norfolk Wildlife Trust at
[email protected].
Why not start a simple survey today?