Pond Conservation staff presented some of our latest work at the 3rd European Pond Conservation Network (EPCN) Workshop in Valencia, Spain, from 14th to 16th May 2008.
This is a meeting of European experts to share experiences about conservation and study of ponds.
Ponds on aggregate sites: creating opportunities, reducing barriers
Pascale Nicolet, Penny Williams, Mericia Whitfield and Jeremy Biggs 
Aggregate extraction sites offer many opportunities for pond creation and have the potential to greatly contribute to biodiversity targets in the UK. The aim of this study was to promote pond creation on gravel extraction sites in the Lower Windrush Valley (LWV) and to disseminate the results widely to other parts of the UK.
The Toolkit for pond creation on aggregate extraction sites was developed as part of this work. Download the toolkit here.
Community Pond Warden Scheme for Lancashire (UK)
Becca Cleaver
There is great enthusiasm for ponds amongst the general public, and volunteers and community groups are a vital means of solving many local pond problems. The Community Pond Warden Scheme for Lancashire, north west England, is a two year pilot project that empowers local people, communities and organisations to conserve Lancashire's important pond landscape.
Download the poster.
More on this work.
A preliminary assessment of Important Areas for Ponds in Wales
Rebecca Good, Pascale Nicolet, Anita Weatherby, Jeremy Biggs and Penny Williams
The Important Areas for Ponds (IAP) project in Wales was set up to identify, and so help protect, networks of the most important ponds for their biodiversity. It is a first test of this new targeted approach to pond conservation in the UK. IAPs are geographical areas that support significant numbers of High Quality Ponds (HQPs). These ponds are identified using a standard set of biological criteria similar to those used to identify Priority ponds under the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan and using available data held by a wide range of pond stakeholders.
Download the poster.
More on this work and to read the final report.
The role of ponds in providing ecosystem services
Jeremy Biggs, Penny Williams and Pascale Nicolet 
If we want to protect and increase ponds and their biodiversity in Europe we need to use all the tools at our disposal. Ponds can play a major role in providing five major types of ecosystem service: flood prevention, water storage, nutrient and other pollutant mitigation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection.
More on this work
