A project to create and manage ponds around a reservoir in Northampton, England, has resulted in a stunning transformation.
According to the BBC, the initiative to develop the area around the Pitsford Reservoir was overseen by the Freshwater Habitats Trust.
With the input of landowners and farmers, the organization created 22 new ponds and managed 10 existing ponds around the reservoir.
Will Shemilt, one of the landowners involved in the project, told the BBC, "If you own land, you want to look after it, and working with nature always pays off."
In this case, after just two years, the payoff was immense. A survey conducted before the scheme began found a total of 71 plant species present in the area. That number jumped to 84, and the number of rare or uncommon plants doubled.
One of the most exciting finds was the presence of the cluster stonewort, a nationally scarce species. As the National Biodiversity Network Trust indicates, the plant had never been previously recorded in the area.
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First built to supply Northampton with water in 1955, the Pitsford Reservoir was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by the British government in 1970. This means the area is subject to special protections and management requirements.
Described by the Wildlife Trust as a "haven for wildfowl," up to 10,000 birds take up residence in the reservoir over the winter. The Freshwater Habitats Trust's work is vital in maintaining the biodiversity of this crucial ecosystem.
Similar restoration efforts have worked well elsewhere. It's difficult to overstate the effectiveness of conservation work at the local level. Moreover, the success of these projects underlines just how resilient nature can be and that it rebounds incredibly quickly when given the right opportunity.
Hannah Worker, the FHT's program manager, said: "It's been so exciting to see such an amazing increase in freshwater species — including uncommon plants returning to the area — within just two years."
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