People build ponds for all sorts of reasons, but very often their desire is to create a wildlife habitat in their backyard.

Water is essential to wildlife and many creatures will make use of it including:

• Frogs, toads and newts
• Caddis flies, damselflies, dragonflies, mayflies, pond skaters, snails and water beetles breed in water
• Large ponds will support waterfowl, including mallard ducks, moorhens and coots
• Birds such as swallows and house martins will pick off insects from above the water surface and use muddy areas for nest building
• The grey heron can be a regular visitor to even a small pond, feeding on fish and amphibians

To find out more about how to create and manage a wildlife pond visit the following websites:

Royal Horticultural Society – Wildlife Ponds

Freshwater Habitats Trust – Make a Garden Pond