Page 14 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #06

WILD JUNE

et’s start with the bad news: during needed. Fortunately, this decline is finally
n
being reversed thanks to the current trend
the 20th century, half of our ponds
MIKE Ldisappeared. Many of these miniature b
of installing water features in gardens.
o
DILGER wetlands in the countryside were lost to The creation of ponds has mimicked the
urban development, while others were either a age-old process of natural pond formation,
w
drained, filled in, or simply deteriorated due
which now rarely happens in the intensively
WILDLIFE to neglect. As ponds support two thirds of m
managed landscapes of modern Britain. The
aquatic real estate currently found in many
all freshwater creatures, urgent action was
a
gardens, in addition to bringing aesthetic value,
WATCHING g
has become vital for a range of freshwater
species that may be struggling in rural areas.
As most of the above water action will be
In a pond of the insectivorous kind, watching ponds is
In a pond
best conducted on a warm, sunny day when
A hive of activity above and
below water, and even on the
water’s surface itself, ponds are
easily accessible and one of our
most diverse wildlife habitats.

DILGER’S DOS
AND DON’TS
Don’t FORGET
THAT PONDS CAN
BE POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS PLACES,
so young children
must never be left
unattended near them.
Do REMEMBER THE
GOLDEN RULE of
pond dipping: put
A family-friendly
all the creatures you
pond dipping event
catch back afterwards.
at RSPB Rye Meads,
Hertfordshire.

14 BBC Wildlife June 2018