Wildlife pond welcomes its first new inhabitants (From Worcester News)

Wildlife pond welcomes its first new inhabitants

12:30am Wednesday 22nd April 2009 in News

A TWO-week old pond at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s headquarters has already got new residents.

The pond, on the route of the nature trail, has been created as part of a project to develop a new wetland habitat at Lower Smite Farm, near Hindlip.

Great crested newts have moved into the pond within two weeks of its creation and have laid their eggs in the newly-planted vegetation.

Pond creation is being promoted nationally by Pond Conservation’s Million Ponds Project which aims to create 5000 new ponds in the UK by 2012.

Ponds suitable for wildlife, particularly amphibians, need to have clean water and preferably no fish.

They need to have gently sloping edges and shelves so that different species can survive at different levels and are able to easily get in and out.

Whilst it is a good idea to introduce a few native species of oxygenating plants such as marsh marigold, brooklime and waters crowsfoot, it won’t take long before ponds are colonised by other plants and wildlife.

Worcestershire residents who already have wildlife-friendly ponds should take a closer look at the life in them at this time of year.

There may be pregnant female newts ready to lay their eggs amongst plant leaves - so don’t clear vegetation from ponds in spring for this reason.

Dragonfly nymphs will be gorging on the tadpoles that are almost ready to turn into froglets.

The nature trail at Lower Smite Farm, which includes a number of ponds, is open daily; for more information visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk For more information on creating a pond or for what can be found in them visit pondconservation.org.uk/millionponds/