The Wild About Gardens challenge encourages people to build their own pond

The Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society have joined forces to urge people across the UK to bring back the garden pond as the feature that can make the biggest difference to saving wildlife.

As part of their annual Wild About Gardens campaign, it encourages people to get involved by creating a garden pond of their own. Whether it’s a large container or deep sunken pond, any water outside can drastically help reverse the decline in garden wildlife.

Ponds are a brilliant way to attract wildlife through colourful flowers, the sound of water and creating a safe space they can inhabit in peace. It’s great for animals such as hedgehogs to have a place to drink and for frogs, newts and other amphibians to feed and breed.

If you don’t have space for a whole pond, consider creating a ‘pocket pond’ instead.

“It’s such fun to help wildlife with a pocket pond – it needn’t be big,” explains Ellie Brodie, Senior Policy Manager at The Wildlife Trust. “All you need to do is fill an old sink or washing-up bowl with rainwater, plant it up and make sure that wildlife can get in and out – it’s easy! I love watching bright blue damselflies landing on the irises in my pond – they’re so beautiful and it’s great knowing I’m helping local wildlife.”

Helen Bostock, Senior Horticultural Advisor at the RHS also says: “Ponds and other water features are an attractive focal point in any garden and are a real haven for wildlife. Even cheap container ponds made from up-cycled materials will quickly be colonised by a whole host of creatures and help form a living chain of aquatic habitats across the neighbourhood.”

The UK has lost ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands at a rapid rate, with only a small amount of natural ponds remaining. With many ponds left in uninhabitable conditions, 13% of wetland species are at risk of extinction.

Continue reading at: Country Living.