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Froglife's advice on making ponds safe

"Don't fill them in, make them safe"

Ponds have enormous value for wildlife in urban areas – allowing populations of amphibians to thrive, as well as providing crucial places for dragonflies and other
pond invertebrates. They also provide stepping stones for other species to come into urban areas – such as grass snakes, birds and even bats.

Urban ponds also help buffer the disappearance of natural ponds in the wild - the number of ponds in the UK countryside was estimated to have declined by over a third from the 1940s to the 1980s*.

In terms of education ponds are of incredible importance. Under supervision, children can see real life examples of many of the things they learn in the classroom: ecosystems, foodchains, biodiversity and identification. Plus potential pond-dippers develop a confidence in the wider world, and an appreciation and respect for local nature, Froglife say.

Pond safety is a key concern when making or maintaining a pond, but filling in ponds should only be a last resort. 

Froglife maintains that other options exist to make ponds safe and often these work out cheaper and actually take less time, money and effort. 

Froglife recommend three steps to make your pond safe until children are older and more aware of the dangers surrounding water:

  • Do not allow unsupervised play near garden ponds

  • Fence off a pond, with a strong 1.1metre high fence with lockable gate

  • Invest in a metal grating to cover the pond – easily installable brand products exist for this purpose.

For more information on ponds, see our Frequently Asked Questions section.

*(Source: Pond Conservation).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 






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