I agree with the need for protection of the vital habitat wildlife ponds create (Editorial, 24 July). One challenge to framing adequate legislation may be that some natural ponds tend to come and go. Many will dry out and gradually convert to boggy ground as plants take over, and new ponds will form.
The Latin name for the common frog is Rana temporaria (temporary frog), reflecting that some of the pools in which frogs breed are not permanent. Thus we are trying to shield a moving target, which is more complicated than a wood, a river or a meadow that generally stay put. Of course, some ponds, like the Norfolk pingo ponds, are truly ancient and therefore easier to define and hence protect. The transitory nature of natural ponds may require a belt-and-braces approach that combines protection for places and for individual species.
I would also emphasise the point you mention that ponds are a habitat which householders are able to create in their own gardens to magnificent effect. Our own ponds have breeding populations of frogs, toads and smooth and great crested newts. We regularly see grass snakes and water shrews, along with a huge variety of insect life (I have counted five species of dragonfly so far this summer). Garden ponds are not a substitute for fully wild natural habitats, but they are a vital component in supporting species affected by loss of habitat.
Tim Franks
Whaddon, Buckinghamshire
Re your editorial, perhaps at least part of the solution is for the government to work with farmers, landowners and water companies to find a way to reinstate ponds. It could also make environmental conservation plans go hand in hand with building and planning for mutually beneficial cooperation and thus safeguard conservation by creating natural habitats and integrating them with housing and development planning. The current plans appear to be shortsighted. Andy Burnham’s new government has a chance to show it is serious about delivering nature recovery – and not just the kind that fits neatly into its development plans.
As for existing ponds, while the clean water bill is expected to be a step change, more is needed, and so we must be pressing to highlight the huge issues of nature recovery.
Glenn Fish
Sheffield
Great article on ponds. They are so vital, and overlooked by many. The farm I manage in Suffolk has 52, of which I have de-silted and renovated about 40. The need to hold water cannot be overestimated for nature, or even flood resilience.
Glenn Buckingham
Framsden, Suffolk
