Create a mini freshwater habitat

Make

Weekend project

Over the last 50 years, ponds have been disappearing from the UK. This is a problem for wildlife that rely on freshwater for all, or part, of their lifecycles - particularly frogs, toads and newts, which need these spaces to breed.

You can help by adding a mini pond to your garden.

You will need

gravel
large stones
logs
rainwater
pond plants
a large, watertight container

How this can help

Happiness

Clean water

Frogs and toads need spaces such as ponds to breed and lay their spawn.
A pond can provide drinking water for animals such as hedgehogs, badgers and foxes, as well as bathing water for birds.
Frogs will happily live in a small pond. They are excellent pest controllers and will munch on a variety of invertebrates attracted to the water.
Some of the insects drawn to the water, such as mosquitos, are also an excellent food source for bats.
With a larger pond you may also attract newts, toads and dragonflies.

Do your bit for biodiversity

Are you already doing this? Let us know!

Adding a pond is one of the best ways to encourage frogs, toads and newts to come to your garden. Although amphibians often return to areas where they've spawned previously, they will use new ponds - particularly in fragmented aquatic landscapes like London.

Dr Jeff Streicher, Senior Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles

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