Work starts on Newt Ponds!

Finally, after jumping through the planning hoops and after a long wait, work started this week on the creation of four ponds at Knaresborough Forest Park!

The work is fully funded by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust working in collaboration with Natural England.

John Thompson, YWT Wetland Creation Officer said :-

“Great crested newts are one of our most protected amphibians, and have suffered severe declines over the last century due to various reasons including habitat loss, pollution and fragmentation of habitats. As a result, our pond-building project for great crested newts is a vital way to help Yorkshire’s newt populations survive and begin to recover.”

The work is being carried out by Coxon brothers, who specialise in pond creation and built the ponds at Longlands Common. The soil here is heavy clay mixed with sand but when smoothed with the digger bucket should hold water.

The spoil from the ponds will be spread adjacent to each pond. The turf is first stripped off then added back at the end so the spoil will green over very quickly.

Although there has been a lot of rain recently the digger and the dumper both run on tracks so the damage to the fields should be minimal.

The ponds will look very raw at first but new life will soon arrive. The ponds installed at Longlands Common a few years ago are now teeming with life, numerous species of dragonfly have been observed and even a kingfisher paid a visit.