Special Interests

'We Need Your Pond'

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During the 20th century large numbers of ponds have, indeed, been destroyed. Over 75% of the ponds that existed at the beginning of the 20th century are now gone. This rate of loss is still continuing. Even in the last 15 years about 1% of ponds have been destroyed each year, mostly through drainage or infilling for agricultural purposes, although destruction for urban development has also played a part.

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A final and perhaps surprising threat to ponds comes from poor management. Until recently there has been little information about the ecology of ponds, and traditional management practices have developed largely in the absence of any real understanding of their effects.

Ian Freeman and Phil Folly were recently trained at Brookes University, Oxford as part of the National Pond monitoring Network to survey ponds which can range from 1 square metre to 2 hectares, holding water for at least 4 months of the Year.

Types of ponds to be included in the National Pond Monitoring Network:

• ponds in areas of semi natural land use e.g. unimproved grassland, woodland, lowland heathland
• countryside/farm ponds including dew ponds
• urban ponds
• SUDS ponds
• ponds created/managed through agri environment schemes
• fishing ponds
• aggregate extraction sites (e.g. gravel pits)
• special historical categories e.g. mill ponds, marl pits, moats
• road run off ponds
• irrigation ponds
• on line ponds
• golf course ponds
• community/school ponds

So please let us come and survey your pond

Contact Ian Freeman on 01494 775798 or via our Contacts page.