Boosting Padbury pondlife

Greener Padbury were given permission from the Parish Council to improve the small pond near the playground on Main Street.

The first step has been to clear all the non aquatic plants that have clogged up the centre of the pond, and see whether water was capable of being retained within the basic clay structure.

We found a significant amount of sediment has built up above the underlying clay which in some places is over a foot deep and has allowed grasses and other weeds to grow. These can take up a lot of water, potentially adding to the problem of the pond drying out during the summer months.

The clay level is still damp, so the next step is to remove some of the sediment and monitor water levels during the winter. If water is retained naturally, we will look to add some aquatic plants during the spring to help improve water quality and better support biodiversity.

Long established residents of Padbury talk about the pond having had large numbers of frogs, toads and other aquatic life and we would like to see these restored to their former levels. The frog we spotted (photographed here) would undoubtedly like some company.

Thanks to those who helped, we've made great progress already! If you would like to get involved in this pond project, please email Kas Gillie: kasgillie@me.com