Water for wildlife
Bringing water into your garden is one of the most effective ways of attracting and enriching local wildlife. No matter how small or large, from a bird bath to a large pond, you will have the pleasure and satisfaction of watching a fascinating variety of animals taking advantage of their new habitat.
Water for wildlife
London's Natural History Museum provides a great introduction to the wildlife commonly found in garden ponds:
The Freshwater Habitats Trust provide a toolkit on creating ponds, together with lots of download-able documents and fact-sheets. This site is primarily aimed at those seeking to build a larger pond:
This RHS site provides a summary of practical information about creating and managing wildlife ponds, including details on planting:
Even a small pond can make a valuable contribution to biodiversity. The Wildlife Trusts provide this useful guide to creating a mini-pond from an old sink, or even a washing up bowl:
For those who prefer not to have a pond in their garden, or just don't have the space, this Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust site offers very practical and comprehensive information on building a mini drainpipe wetland:
Even the simple provision of water so that birds can bathe and drink, will help support wild bird populations. The Natural History Museum offers some very useful guidance: