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Pond Management Hub

Manage your pond to benefit biodiversity

Ponds are vital for biodiversity. In fact, two-thirds of Britain’s freshwater plants and animals can be found somewhere in permanent and temporary ponds. Most people want to manage their ponds to ensure they’re as good as possible for wildlife, but there are many myths and misconceptions around pond management. It can be difficult to know where to start.

Our evidence-based Pond Management Hub resources are freely available to help anyone manage their pond for biodiversity.

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Our policy as an organisation is to make all the information we produce open access, without restriction. That’s why these resources are completely free for everyone to download and use. As a charity, we rely on donations to create resources that are accessible to everyone, so please support our work.

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Pond Management Hub resources

Use our free resources to help you manage your pond for wildlife.

The value of ponds for wildlife Find out why ponds are important for wildlife and why we need to protect them.
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The value of ponds for heritage Discover the cultural and historic significance of ponds.
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Pond assessment and survey Ponds can sometimes be damaged by poor management. Find out how to assess your ponds to see if they need management or are already the best they can be.
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Pond management risk assessment Use our risk assessment to predict the impact of management on species.
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What makes a good wildlife pond? Learn which parts of a pond are important for plant and animals. Discovering where wildlife lives makes management decisions much easier.
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Pond management overview Discover pond management myths and misconceptions, together with the principles that will help you make the best management decisions.
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Managing trees around ponds Is your pond shaded or surrounded by woodland? This detailed guide will help you decide what to do.
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Buster and Molly's guide to ponds A family-friendly leaflet you can share with you site visitors to encourage responsible dog ownership around ponds.
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Creating garden ponds for wildlife Get basic pond management advice in this booklet, created with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.
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More pond management resources

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Pond creation toolkit

For evidence-based advice on creating ponds for wildlife, visit our Pond Creation Toolkit.

Find out more
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The Pond Book

Get the most comprehensive guide out there to the management and creation of ponds.

Buy The Pond Book
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Frequently Asked Questions

Puzzled by your pond? Find answers to the most frequently asked questions.

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Guide to the restoration, creation and management of ponds

Created with UCL, with support from Natural England, this guide gives practical advice on bringing ponds to life.

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