Great diving beetle by Jack Perks
Wild about ponds
Ponds are fantastic places for wildlife! As well as being a much-needed habitat for species like frogs, toads, dragonflies and water beetles, they also provide water for birds, hedgehogs and more.
Sadly, we've lost a lot of ponds from our landscape, whether in gardens or farmland. This loss is linked to a huge decline in wildlife; it's estimate that we've lost two thirds of our toads over the last 30 years alone, for example, However, we can give our ponds a boost both in our gardens and our local neighbourhoods - even just a sunken bucket will help.
Read on to find out fascinating facts as well as lots on inspiration for how to install even a small pond on your patch.
From upcycling wheelbarrows or trugs into ponds to what to plant in a wildlife pond, download your free big or small, ponds for all booklet to help you understand more about how ponds work and how you can create or improve one for wildlife where you are.
Probably the most obvious wildlife that can benefit from a pond are our amphibian friends. Find out more about toads, frogs and newts in our short video...
Why not spot what's in or around your pond - we've added some hints and tips to help you identify one species from another.
You can learn more about why toads cross roads in early spring in our amorous amphibians blog.
Of course, ponds aren't all about amphibians. Whether small ponds in gardens or bigger ponds in the wider landscape, bodies of water are essential for the masters of flight that are dragonflies and damselflies. These voracious predators spend longer beneath the surface than they do in the air and if you've got a pond, you're sure to see some...
