Cleaning ponds

[Nicky71]

Hello

I have recently taken over a Forest School area for my local school. There are two ponds - one large (approx 2 metre diameter) and one very small (about the size of a large sink).

They are both overshadowed by trees to have alot of debris build up. The large one is home to great crested newts, frogs etc and the small one doesn't appear to have any vertebrate life (according to the teachers).

Any ideas what I should do now that we are coming into spring? I feel that I should clear out the small one as it is most certainly stagnant but no idea about the big one. I have heard you can put straw in that will clean the water.

Thanks for your help

[Dogghound]

Dont touch the large one. If its got great crested newts in you would need to apply for licenses to carry out any work. Also if it has these species of amphibian in it is clearly in good condition. The small pond may need a closer inspection, I would have a dip and see what you can find, it may need abit of a clear out to stop it silting up. What is the habitat like around the ponds? this is just as important.

[sbeau66]

I have a small water feature/pond that regularly goes stagnant every 2 years, itake out what plant life there is, this contains in the roots any water insects, and other crawlies, and save it in rainwater then i clear it out and refill with rainwater from the butt, then replace the plants , and its good for ages then, and in late spring i get toads in it by the dozens!!

[hoppit]

Originally Posted by Nicky71

Hello

I have recently taken over a Forest School area for my local school. There are two ponds - one large (approx 2 metre diameter) and one very small (about the size of a large sink).

They are both overshadowed by trees to have alot of debris build up. The large one is home to great crested newts, frogs etc and the small one doesn't appear to have any vertebrate life (according to the teachers).

Any ideas what I should do now that we are coming into spring? I feel that I should clear out the small one as it is most certainly stagnant but no idea about the big one. I have heard you can put straw in that will clean the water.

Thanks for your help

I wouldn't touch the large one that's for sure. The small one i'd try and clean out the leaves & any debris carefully & gently fill it with some rain water, or tap water that's been left standing for about a week, looking for any pondlife at the same time. Put in a bit of Canadian pondweed. Easy to come by. Good luck!

[dampflippers]

Start keeping a diary with the pupils of pond life, and take photos to show how it changes through the year.
Count numbers of frogs, toads or newts seen at one time, and blobs of frogspawn. Get them to try to count or estimate the number of eggs in a blob.
I think you can, without any fear of harm remove a few dead leaves and stems before spawning starts if you feel you need to.
Do read up on the amphibians you have so you understand their life cycles.
Take out a glass of water from each pond, and hold it up to the light. Soon you will be able to see, as the water warms up, things like daphnia moving around. Newts are carnivores, so you don't want a perfectly clear pond, or there will be nothing at the bottom of the food chain.
Are you a new teacher, or have you seen the pond in previous years.

ps Are you sure they are great crested newts and not just male smooth newts with a crest? I ask because I visited a school pond where they thought they had them, and they didn't.