Ponds Restoration

Part of the project included the effort to raise further the profile and importance of ponds, to generate a wider interest in them and a better appreciation of their biodiversity through these example ponds. A series of Pond Celebration days aided in educating communities and enthusing people to create or restore their own ponds.

Five ponds were restored within the LEADER+ area, and all are accessible to the general public. The five local community ponds were:

• Honeymoor Common – Eaton Bishop
• Church Lane – Edwin Ralph
• Madley Moat – Madley
• Lower House Orchards – Staunton-on-Wye
• Monnington Church Pond – Monnington

As well as all five ponds containing the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species the Great Crested Newt, Lower House Orchards pond is a site for the BAP species the Medicinal Leech, and Monnington Church Pond is a site for another BAP species, the Otter.

This project was undertaken in four stages:

• Education and Training – includes Pond Celebration days, involving local people and their ponds, and 15 school pond sessions
• Local Community Involvement – includes consultation with the local parishes of the five ponds, five local Pond Groups set up, and five management plans identified
• Pond Restoration and Management – for each of the five ponds, includes assessment and surveys of the ponds, photographic records, full restoration plans, and restoration works
• On-going Monitoring – for each of the five ponds restored, includes providing the local Pond Group with monitoring equipment and information, and assignment of a fully-trained volunteer to each group

All results of the assessments and surveys have been passed to the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre for general conservation use.

Richard King
Hart Chairman
C/o Woodlea
Little Dewchurch
Hereford
HR2 6PS
Tel: (01432) 840421