Restoring a pond

Unknown to me, the orchard at Whitminster managed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has a pond in the top corner. It was very inaccessible from inside the orchard, and a broken fence on the other side meant that it was frequented by dogs and cattle.

A few of us met to carry out some basic restoration. A large part of the task involved cutting back the surrounding ash and hawthorn to let light hit the pond itself. We also repaired the fence to make it stock proof and used the brash to create a dead hedge alongside to further discourage animal access from that side.

Newts have been spotted in the area, so we hope that this restoration will start to create an undisturbed habitat in that corner. Hopefully after the growing season we can inspect again and carry out more maintenance.