South Yorkshire Ponds Project
Ponds
Ponds are extremely valuable for wildlife and they provide great opportunities for people of all ages to learn about this wildlife and the natural environment, through events like pond-dipping or simply by seeing the variety of animals living in or using the water. These include dragonflies and a whole host of other invertebrates; amphibians such as frogs and newts; birds or bats feeding on insects over the pond whilst herons and kingfishers hunt for food in the water. Many also have a great variety of plants growing in them, either floating on the water or around the margins of the pond.
There's more information on ponds and wildlife at the Pond Conservation website.
Why Are Ponds Important?
In the last 100 years ponds have suffered a serious decline; Pond Conservation estimate that 68% of ponds in the UK have disappeared within the last century and many of those that remain are found to be in poor condition. Ponds have recently been added as a Priority Habitat for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and they support up to 60 UK BAP priority species. More information on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and priority habitats and species can be found on our BAP page. Projects are now being organised to raise the profile of ponds, working to stop their loss, maintain those that remain and to try to recreate large numbers of new ponds over the coming years.
The Project
Sheffield Wildlife Trust has recently received a grant to undertake the South Yorkshire Ponds Project across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. The Project has being funded by Biffaward a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.
The Project is being carried out by the Trust in partnership with Pond Conservation, the South Yorkshire Biodiversity Forum and the co-operation of various landowners in South Yorkshire. Detailed scientific surveys will be undertaken on a selection of ponds across the area, followed by practical works to restore or enhance their value. Previously dried out or silted up ponds will be restored and vital management work to benefit wildlife will be undertaken on others.
A previous phase of the pond project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the SITA Trust’s Enriching Nature programme and the Environment Agency This carried out pond management works across the area and produced a map of all the non-garden ponds in South Yorkshire with an inventory of any information that is known about the ponds. It revealed the important areas for ponds in South Yorkshire and highlighted the opportunities to further increase the spread of ponds across the area.
Get Involved
• This is an opportunity for SWT members, other members of the public and community groups to support the project by providing records and local knowledge. If you know of a pond (with the exception of garden ponds) in the project area, please let us know. Any information you have will be valuable. You can also visit your local ponds and carry out a quick assessment of pond condition, through filling out a simple local Pond Survey Form for South Yorkshire and returning it to us.
• There will also be a variety of opportunities for volunteers to get involved in the Project through medium-term volunteer placements with the Trust, including assisting in pond surveying.
• There will also be advice available for local communities to help people raise funds for any pond maintenance work required or to increase further community involvement.
For further information or if you would like to become involved with the South Yorkshire Ponds Project, please contact Chris Monk or Bob Eades (Project Officers) at the Wildlife Trust office on 0114 263 4335 or email
c.monk@wildsheffield.com or r.eades@wildsheffield.com
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