Saving Nidderdale’s Priority Ponds

We’ve joined forces with the Freshwater Habitats Trust to help save Nidderdale National Landscape’s priority ponds.

Thanks to generous funding through Yorkshire Water’s Biodiversity Programme, Nidderdale National Landscape and the Freshwater Habitats Trust are undertaking this 16 month project to save Nidderdale National Landscape’s Priority Ponds from being degraded and lost.

Did you know ponds support two thirds of all freshwater species?

Common frogs and toads, dragonflies, damselflies, water beetles, broad-leaved pondweed, and pillwort are just a few wildlife species that call ponds home!

Unfortunately, 50% of these vital habitats in the UK have been lost over the last 100 years.

Through this project, we are:

• surveying and mapping the National Landscape’s network of ponds
• recruiting and training volunteers to help collect data on priority species, such as common toads
• assessing and monitoring water quality in selected ponds
• running a series of events and citizen science campaigns to help raise awareness around the importance of ponds
• helping local schools create ‘container ponds’ and families establish mini garden ponds
• working with conservation volunteers to manage community ponds

Nidderdale’s ponds

This projects builds on the findings from our recent The Wild Watch project.

During this three-year wildlife survey project, around 1,400 ponds were revealed to be in the National Landscape. These include high status priority ponds, which were found to support great crested newts.

Get involved

There will be lots of opportunities for you to get involved!

You can find out more on the Freshwater Habitats Trust’s website.