The Million Ponds project aims to make about half a million new, clean-water ponds that are great for wildlife in the UK.
This will bring the total number of ponds (not in gardens) back to around one million ponds, which was the number at the start of the 20th century.
Working with a large number of partner organisations, these ponds will be created across the UK to increase the range and biodiversity of freshwater habitats, bringing clean water back to lowland areas and sustaining many threatened plants and animals that are currently in decline.
The quality of freshwaters in the UK is a major concern.
In the lowlands there are now very few streams, rivers, ditches or lakes whose plant and animal communities have not been fundamentally damaged by nutrients, silts and other pollutants. Physical damage such as drainage and dropping groundwater levels, and future effects such as climate change add to these concerns.
Million Ponds project aims
We aim to
- more than double the number of existing ponds by creating 600,000 new high quality ponds over the next 50 years
- create a network of thousands of new ponds in Britain, with clean water and that are great for biodiversity
- improve the quality of existing ponds for amphibians.
Where do we start?
This is an ambitous project. We now have funding for the first four years of the project and are currently developing the project plan.
The Million Ponds project will help to deliver the Pond Habitat Action Plan target to create new high quality ponds.
Million Ponds project is supported by The Tubney Charitable Trust
