Life in a Pond

Put a pond in your garden and your hard work will be repaid many times over. I guarantee it is great de-stressing pastime.

February 26th and the frogs have turned up in my garden pond, the urge to get on with the frenzied act of procreation outweighing the still continuing cold weather that threatens to dampen their ardour. Their arrival is just a few days later than last year and just shows that most of our wildlife is able to cope with a prolonged cold winter much better than we do - and make far less fuss about it in the process.

Ponds are great; as a gift for wildlife there is nothing better than putting one in your garden and the benefit derived for all sorts of species is matched in equal proportion by the pleasure that you can get from it. Gardens in general provide a great habitat for wildlife and if you combined all the gardens in the UK you would have a huge nature reserve.

Frogs in particular have benefited hugely from garden ponds and surveys show that over 50% of the population of frogs in Sussex use them as a breeding ground.

Back in the late 1990s Sussex Wildlife Trust organised a map survey of all the ponds in Sussex and it was calculated that there 18,749 in the county, not including those in gardens. Now, although this sounds a lot, it was in fact thought to be far fewer than perhaps 50 years previously. Also the loss of ponds was, and still is, happening and for a variety of reasons.

Naturally drying up, being filled in, pollution and the introduction of non-native plant species have all contributed to the loss of our ponds.

The introduction of non-native plants has become a really big issue because of the problems they cause in both gardens ponds and in the wider countryside. Much of the problem has derived from people buying non native exotic plants for their gardens.  When they realise that these plants completely smother and take over the pond and actually discourage other wildlife they then dispose of them in other ponds and waterways.

Species such as water-fern, floating pennywort and parrot’s feather have caused enormous damage to water bodies and their associated wildlife throughout  the UK and not insignificant sums of money are being spent in trying to get rid of these ‘aliens’ -  not an easy task.  

If you invest in a garden pond, wildlife will soon find it. The first summer I put one in my garden it attracted nine species of dragonflies and damselflies along with frogs, some newts, shrimps, pond skaters, water boatmen and a lot more besides. There is plenty of advice out there about how to set up a pond, what plants to put in it and how to maintain it. It is also great fun to learn about the creatures that use it. Surveying and recording wildlife in gardens is important and, as with frogs, it helps us to keep a track on their population levels.

The Trust offers advice through the website www.sussxwt.org.uk on how to make a pond and is also running a number of courses throughout the year on pond and garden related topics. During April there are two courses, one is An Introduction to Amphibians, the other How to carry out a pond survey. Both are aimed at people who want to get more wildlife into their garden or local spaces.

Put a pond in your garden and your hard work will be repaid many times over, and when eventually we do actually get some good weather make sure you take time to sit out with a cup of tea, or even better a glass of wine and just watch the comings and goings.  I guarantee it is great de-stressing pastime.

Pond and Wildlife Garden Courses in April are on Sunday 11th and Tuesday 13th (3 Days). For further details please go to www.sussexwt.org.uk and click on events and courses or ring 01273 497561.

By Mike Russell
Sussex Wildlife Trust

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