A garden pond sized Priority Pond

 

This pond is about the same size as my garden pond

This little pond in the New Forest shows that tiny ponds can be important wildlife habitats.

It’s about the same size and depth as my garden pond and we found two species which are endangered in Britain: Mud Snails and Slender Marsh Bedstraw.

This makes the pond a ‘priority pond’: one that should be given special protection because of the wildlife it supports.

The Mud Snail is a so-called Biodiversity Action Plan species and the bedstraw is in the UK Red Data Book.

Both could easily become extinct in this country if not carefully protected.

We also found Palmate Newts and a wide variety of smaller animals in this tiny pond (including an unusual mayfly – more of that another time).

It shows that a pond doesn’t need to be big to be an important wildlife habitat.

Clean water and good surroundings are all it takes.