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How to make a wildlife pond

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Written by Jade Walton, Transforming Lives Trainee

Autumn and winter are the perfect times to create your own wildlife pond in your garden. Whether big or small, a pond dedicated to wildlife can be hugely beneficial to the wildlife in your area.

To support amphibians, it is best that the pond you create is at least 2 metres in diameter to give them ample space for breeding. Shelves of different water depths are also beneficial to create habitats for a diverse range of pond invertebrates. However, do make sure part of your amphibian pond is at least 60cm deep to protect any future amphibian inhabitants from extreme temperatures.

The next step, once the pond is dug, is to use the appropriate liner. This could be made of rubber, clay, PVC, or you could use a preformed pond made of plastic or fibreglass. To fill your lined pond you could either wait for it to fill naturally with rain over the winter months, or use appropriately treated tap water.

After the pond has filled, you can either wait for it to naturally populate with plants, or you could plant it up yourself with specific local pond plant species to encourage our amphibian friends.

Then comes the wait. It is likely your pond will quickly become home to invertebrates such as water snails and beetle larvae, but it may take a little longer to attract amphibian populations. You may get lucky and have amphibians breed in your pond in the spring after its creation, but do not be disheartened if it takes a few years. Your pond has much value beyond being an amphibian breeding and hunting site. It will support a plethora of underwater invertebrates and will provide drinking water for your local mammal and bird populations.

Some frogs may overwinter at the bottom of the pond and so need some consistency of water temperature. Should your pond freeze over, it is advised to gently brush away any snow as this blocks out valuable sunlight used by your pond plants to create oxygen. This is the best way to prevent winterkill in frog populations. Be sure not to crack the ice with force, as this can cause harm to all pond inhabitants.

For a more detailed guide to pond creation, look to your Just Add Water guide downloadable on our website or available for purchase in the Froglife Shop.

Be sure to let us know how you get on!

The Importance of wildlife ponds in gardens

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Written by Ellia Cobb: Transforming Lives Trainee

There has been a 50% decline in pond habitats in the UK over the past century, with 80% of those remaining being classified as either in ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ condition. We can all do our bit to tackle this problem.

Wildlife ponds are amazing for wildlife, having a pond in your garden or greenspace is highly beneficial to all kinds of different species such as frogs, toads, newts and invertebrates. They provide a safe place for amphibians to feed, lay their spawn and raise their young as well as providing drinking and bathing water for other wildlife in the process. 

Ponds don’t have to be perfect! Creating a pond can be a simple and fun activity and will add to the two thirds of support that garden ponds provide freshwater species already. 

An effective way to create a pond suitable for amphibians and other species is to dig out and line your own, ensuring it is deep enough and sloped to allow wildlife to get in and out. It is important that the pond isn’t one depth and has shallow areas for amphibians to rest and deeper areas for hibernation. Ranges in depth are also great for planting a variety of vegetation. Planting different floating, marginal emergent and oxygenating plants will help your pond thrive and provide hiding places and egg-laying sites.

It is a good idea to use a durable pond liner so that your pond lasts many years. Be patient with your pond as it can take some time for wildlife to find them. They will not need much maintenance once finished.

You can find loads of advice in our Just Add Water booklet and on our Wildlife at Home web page on how to build ponds. Remember to send in your photos to info@froglife.org so we can share them on social media!

The Dog (Swimming) Days Are Over 

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Written by Jade Walton: Transforming Lives Trainee

Here at Froglife we love our four-legged companions and know how important daily exercise is for our beloved dogs. While there is no harm in letting your dog swim in many different bodies of water, it is highly encouraged to steer them clear of ponds, especially during amphibian breeding season, and here are some reasons why: 

  • If you have used a spot-on flea or tick treatment on your dog, this can get into the pond water and possibly harm the invertebrate population of the pond. These invertebrates are a crucial part of the pond’s ecosystem and are a major food source for many amphibians. 
  • Dogs swimming in a pond can easily disrupt the mating behaviours of amphibians, making it less likely for the amphibians to use the pond as a breeding pond. 
  • If the pond has been used to breed, the arrival of an enthusiastic pup can damage any eggs or spawn that have been laid, or even harm any tadpoles or efts (baby newts) that may have hatched. 
  • Some ponds are artificial. This means pond liner may have been used to ensure water remains in the pond rather than soaking into the ground. If dogs are often running and jumping into a pond made with an artificial liner, this can damage and degrade the liner over time, likely causing the liner to rip and the pond to leak which cannot always be fixed. 

If your dog loves a swim, it’s best for them to stick to larger bodies of water, such as, lakes, rivers, or the sea. If they are a real water lover, it may be best to keep them on the lead when around ponds as we know how tempting a good old dip can be. 

You can find more information on this subject by visiting our #PawsAgainstPonds Campaign Page. 

What our animals are doing this month….

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What are our animals up to in February?

As we ‘hop’ into February common frogs are out and about spawning. Well, this winter they have already started, as the first sighting of Frogspawn was on 23rd December in the Isles of Scilly! Mainland Britain is hot on its heels with milder spells in January creating a great opportunity for spawning.

The deep croaking is a dead giveaway of male frogs trying to attract mates. The males clasp the females in a bear hug waiting for her to spawn so he can fertilise the eggs. The result being large jelly like clumps of spawn that as they mature start to float. This is where the danger sets in as if the weather changes and the pond ices over the spawn on the top may not survive, however, spawn that is submerged has a much better chance of survival.

You can help by submitting your sightings of frogspawn and any other amphibians and reptiles to our Dragon Finder App – these records help us learn more about how our changing environment affects our species.

Just Add Water to Help Wildlife Thrive!

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Froglife completed work on a new pond in Frome, Somerset, in collaboration with Frome Town Council in February this year. After just two months the pond is already brimming with life!

Froglife is a UK wildlife conservation charity focusing on the protection of reptiles and amphibians and the habitats they rely on. The charity’s “Green Pathways for Life” project provides opportunities for people living with dementia and their carers to get active and connect with nature conservation, to boost wellbeing and help local wildlife. The new pond was created over several weeks, with Froglife’s dementia groups taking an active role from initial planning to final planting up with native water plants.

Now the pond is established, the groups have been monitoring the wildlife species moving into the pond. The first survey, just two months after the pond was created, found the species count shot up from zero to more than ten – including frog tadpoles, fly larvae, water snails, pond skaters and other invertebrates.

Froglife’s Somerset Project Officer Zak says “although the flora and fauna are still developing in this new pond it’s amazing to see how quickly aquatic life can flourish when we provide the right habitat. We’ve already found this rich community of species, which in turn will benefit all kinds of wildlife in the surrounding area. It’s also a fantastic learning resource for local residents from school kids to our groups for people living with dementia, who regularly use and look after the site. A real win-win for wildlife and people!”

Unfortunately the UK lost 50% of its ponds in the 20th century and 80% of those remaining are in a poor condition. Many of our iconic wildlife species are in decline, including frogs and toads. Froglife research in 2016 found that common toads have declined by almost 70% in the last 30 years.

With Amphibian Week from 1st-7th May, it’s never been a better time to join Froglife’s Just Add Water campaign by creating your own pond! If space is tight a small container pond can be a huge boost for wildlife including amphibians, even in heavily urban environments. Why not give it a go with our free guide? https://www.froglife.org/info-advice/just-add-water/

Somerset Green Pathways for Life is funded by Somerset County Council, Frome Town Council, The Florence Cohen Charitable Trust, The Nineveh Trust, The Hospital Saturday Fund, Somerset Community Foundation, and Anne Jones.

A new wetland for Mr Toad

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The conservation charity Froglife are pleased to announce that they have secured a grant of £8,600 from The Veolia Environmental Trust, through the Landfill Communities Fund, to create a wildlife pond at Ham Common Woods in Richmond. Froglife will work in partnership with the London borough of Richmond upon Thames to create a wetland oasis.

Pond creation Day 3 Ham Common Woods

This habitat work will be delivered as part of Froglife’s HLF funded flagship project, London Dragon Finder, which is encouraging Londoners to help protect amphibians and reptiles across the city.  Through surveying, mapping and creating new habitats, the project helps to conserve species like toads, frogs and newts – all of which are found in the bustling capital.

The project will improve and enhance the biodiversity value of an area of woodland at Ham Common Woods by creating a new large pond which will part of a network of new ponds in the woods. It is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, next to Richmond Park and a Local Nature Reserve. Currently there are only wet hollows within the woodland which support breeding frogs during wet springs where there is sufficient standing water. There is also a common toad population on site which has been divided by roads. A mosaic of diverse marginal vegetation & open water will greatly improve the pond for these species.

This work is essential a recent study by Froglife and partners from The University of Zurich in Switzerland has shown that on average common toads have declined by 68% over the last 30 years in the UK. In some areas, such as London and the south east of England, declines have been even more pronounced.

Since October 2013 the London Dragon Finder project has improved habitats at over forty sites across the capital. “As our towns and cities have expanded the habitat available for wildlife has shrunk.” says Alan Shearman (London Dragon Finder Project Manager), “But, with some careful planning, and help from willing volunteers, we can still create the right conditions for wildlife to thrive in urban areas”.

Richmond Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Pamela Fleming, said: “This is fantastic news for our beautiful borough and we’re delighted that our partnership work with Froglife has resulted in what will be a gorgeous wetland oasis courtesy of the funding provided by The Veolia Environmental Trust. The environment is a cornerstone of our work here at the Council and we know how much our natural habitats, parks and open green spaces mean to our residents.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, adds, “We are really pleased to be able to support this exciting project and we look forward to seeing the finished pond and the frog and toad life it will support.’  

Work is expected to be completed before the end of February in time for the breeding season.

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