Pondlife...	In this section: A new pond Aren't ponds brilliant? The pondlife moves in
A new pond A stream runs alongside the southern boundary of the site and this supports a diverse aquatic and marginal flora. However, there was no natural pond, although there are several on land nearby. It was decided that a pond would be beneficial in attracting wildlife as well as providing a focal point for the site as a whole, and so the installation of a pond was included in the management plan drawn up for the project by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. In the early stages of the project a pond shape was dug out in the hope that the underlying clay base would be suitable for "puddling" - trampling the wet clay to get rid of air pockets and create a smooth, impermeable layer. In the event, despite our best efforts, this proved impossible and we realised that we would need an artificial liner - an expensive item for a large pond. And so the hole remained there for several years, filling up tantalisingly after the winter rains only to seep away and dry out every summer. Finally, Anglian Water came to the rescue, providing not only a modern self-sealing liner, but all the aquatic and marginal plants required to establish a brand new pond. Top of Page
Aren't ponds brilliant? Lots of people in Elmswell clearly think so! Over one hundred people came to the Kiln Meadow Open Afternoon to celebrate the installation and topping up of the new pond. A regular stream of visitors arrived throughout the afternoon to look round the site and to help with planting up around the margins of the pond. The Elmswell Fire Crew, resourceful as ever, managed to find a suitable source of water to top up the water level. After all the activity there was a welcome cup of tea in the marquee and a chance to browse a photographic display. Top of Page
The pondlife moves in... The work on the new pond was carried out with remarkable speed by the Anglian Water contractors, with the shape dug out and the liner installed in just a few days. The wildlife moved in with similar rapidity. Within a few weeks the water had cleared and an amazing diversity of aquatic invertebrates had appeared, including water boatmen, pond skaters and whirligig beetles. Frogs, toads and newts followed the insects. A particular highlight of the summer months are the spectacular dragonflies and damselflies which hawk over the water. Many bred in the pond during the first year. The new plants have survived well, many of the marginals, especially the purple loosestrife, flowering in their first season. Other species planted include: dwarf spearwort; lesser pond sedge; water plantain; marsh marigold; and water forget-me-not. The pond was filled with a combination of tap water and final effluent from the sewage treatment works. The high concentration of nutrients found in tap water often causes algal bloom and rapid growth of blanket weed. This is a problem during late summer and is likely to persist until the diversity of wildlife in the pond achieves a natural balance. In the meantime, raking off weed and dead leaves will be a regular task. The high rainfall in recent months has brought us one benefit - the water level has never dropped so low as to need topping up. Top of Page