Freshwater Habitats Trust is the UK ‘s leading charity for all freshwaters and has been creating, restoring, and protecting freshwater habitats for more than 35 years. Through practical conservation work, scientific research and outreach, they apply the latest evidence to deliver real change for life in freshwater.
Freshwater Habitats Trust is pioneering the Freshwater Network, to create a national network of wilder, wetter, cleaner, more connected habitats to stop and reverse the decline in freshwater biodiversity. One focus of the Freshwater Network is the restoration and creation of small waters and wetlands, such as ponds, because they can regenerate freshwater landscapes quickly and cost-effectively.
Ponds can help us tackle many of the big environmental issues that affect us all: climate change, flooding and pollution. They are also fantastic for biodiversity, supporting an extraordinary two-thirds of all freshwater species. That’s why creating new clean ponds is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect freshwater wildlife.
The Pond Network for Nature project will create a local network of high-quality ponds across a landholding in Oxfordshire. Creating these important habitats will bring clean water back to the landscape, expanding the freshwater network. This will increase freshwater species diversity across the wider landscape. These new ponds will provide a clean water refuge for charismatic freshwater species, such as Common Toad (Bufo bufo) and Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus), in a landscape increasingly impacted by land use change and pollution.
The creation of the Pond Network for Nature is being supported by Elgol Fund for Nature, along with funding for long-term monitoring of the network. This includes research into the network’s impact on biodiversity, water quality, and overall ecosystem health.
Photos courtesy of Freshwater Habitats Trust and Paula Cooper (Brecks Toad)
