Wildlife Trust Pond Project
Ponds on the Isle of Wight
As part of the Wildlife Trust's commitment to International Year of Biodiversity it launched a project to promote ponds on the Isle of Wight.
In the first year the project focussed efforts on the unique landscape of West Wight where 66 ponds were surveyed and many pond owners have been given help and advice on how best to attract wetland wildlife. The Pond Project has identified many that need a helping hand to bring back some of their wildlife interest and landscape appeal.
During the autumn, volunteers from the Green Gym restored ponds at Yafford and Totland. Volunteers trimmed back scrub to open up views and pulled out some of the bulrush to create open areas of water, sheltered by the remaining wetland plants. Newts favour ponds with some open water as do many species of dragonfly and damselfly. At Furze Butt Field in Totland volunteers have helped to cut back some of the willows in the balancing pond. This has created more light and warmth into the pond which allows wetland plants to grow.
Mapping ponds
Initially focussing on the unique landscape of the West Wight, this partnership project aims to create a definitive map of wildlife-rich ponds. The Wildlife Trust will be working with volunteers and IoW Pond Wardens to survey pond wildlife, restore habitats and create new ponds. The project will also offer advice and help with grants and practical work to farmers and landowners who wish to manage their ponds for wildlife or create new ponds.
Vital new ponds have been created in Bouldnor Forest to safeguard scarce Island Great Crested Newts and encourage nationally rare wetland plants to re-establish, thanks to funding and support from the Million Ponds Project and Biffaward, the Environment Agency and West Wight Landscape Partnership.
Ponds have also been created in Brighstone Forest, Combley Great Wood and at a site in Thorley to provide habitat for palmate and smooth newts and for rare species of bat.
The grants have enabled the Hants and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to dig 10 new clean water ponds. A staggering 80% of ponds in the countryside are in poor or very poor condition, so it is very important that new clean water ponds such as these are created, giving the hundreds of species that depend on ponds a fighting chance. The new ponds will mean that Great Crested Newts, and many other plants and animals, will have a secure future.
A new pond was also dug by Local Environment Agency staff and Wildlife Trust volunteers on our Ningwood Reserve which filled with rainwater almost immediately and only months later, dragonflies have already started to breed here.
Creating clean water ponds that will develop in to rich wildlife hotspots is relatively straight forward, as long as you adhere to three key criteria:
- Ponds need a clean water source, free from fertilisers, pesticides, run-off from roads, leaky septic tanks or run-off from intensive agriculture;
- Ponds need to be left to colonise naturally, without the addition of plants and animals;
- Ponds need to be left to thrive without undue disturbance.
Wildlife Trust Pond Officer, Nicola Wheeler said “These are ideal places to create wildlife ponds because water coming off the woodlands is clean and free from pollution. It means the delicate plants and animals that can’t survive in polluted ponds will be able to find a home here.”
Recent Activity
A further 30+ new clean water ponds are being planned and will be dug later this year.
An historic complex of ponds on the Ministry of Defence SSSI land could prove to be the best on the island – a student from Portsmouth University has teamed up with project volunteers to carry out in-depth surveys of the invertebrates found in these undisturbed ponds.
Click here to see a summary of the Newt survey carried out in 2010.
Partnership
The project is a partnership between the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency and the West Wight Landscape Partnership. For more information please contact the project officer Nicola Wheeler on 01983 533180 or e-mail nicolaw@hwt.org.uk.
