Useful Pond/Wetland Related Resources
Ponds for Biodiversity: One of the three strands of An Taisce’s Legacy4LIFE project focusing on the importance of ponds for wildlife and climate change mitigation – www.antaisce.org/ponds (lots of FREE resources here, including the Irish Pond Manual: A Guide to the Creation and Management of Ponds, Irish Pond Survey Report 2023, Pond’s: A Guide for Local Authorities, Pond Pamphlets/Posters: Importance of Ponds for Wildlife, and How to Create and Manage a Pond for Wildlife)
Juanita Browne’s Gardening for Nature Booklet (includes wetland/pond creation, bog garden creation and rain garden creation amongst more: www.heritagecouncil.ie/content/files/Gardening-For-Biodiversity.pdf
The Hare’s Corner: An initiative to help landowners make more space for nature through creation of habitats www.theharescorner.ie. Download 2025 impact report here.
ReFarm Ireland: scales nature-friendly farming in Ireland by funding and supporting farmers to restore biodiversity (partnership between farmers, businesses, public bodies, and researchers) www.refarm.ie. Download 2025 impact report here.
Feidhlim Harty Pond resources www.wetlandsystems.ie/resources/#Ponds
Farming for Nature. Working with farmers to enhance the natural health of the countryside: www.farmingfornature.ie/your-farm/resources/best-practice-guides/building-a-wildlife-pond-on-your-land/
Burrenbeo Trust. Connecting people and place (organisation which manages the Hare’s Corner, ReFarm Ireland, Farming for Nature and other wonderful heritage initiatives: www.burrenbeo.com
Wildacres Nature Reserve: www.wildacres.ie. Wildlife Pond Workshops www.wildacres.ie/creating-a-wildlife-pond
Pond Design and Construction with Feidhlim Harty for The Hare's Corner: www.youtu.be/gBoMkOISAOA
Gobnait O’Neill, The Grassroots Guild (Not for Profit Social Enterprise: aiming to share the skills that allow people, groups and businesses to take an active role in restoring nature where they live and work), mini-pond kits and mini pond creation workshops: www.thegrassrootsguild.org
True Nature Ecology: Conservation Ecologist Aoife O’Rourke, helping you take nature positive actions at any scale. Special interests include: wetlands, particularly ponds, invertebrates, collaborative community-based conservation, and nature conservation and restoration in general www.truenatureecology.com. Webinar on ponds for nature conservation and climate action: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-v6g6ke_08
Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO): An organization aimed at identifying issues effecting water quality in Ireland and collaborating with relevant local authorities, public bodies and water stakeholders to find solutions. Community engagement is at the core of their work, assuring local and expert knowledge is harnessed to help achieve the best results www.lawaters.ie
Irish Ramsar Wetlands Committee. Irish Ramsar Wetland Sites (wetland sites of significant value for nature): www.irishwetlands.ie/irish-ramsar-sites
Wetland Surveys Ireland (WSI). Wetlands Map of Ireland, and lots of other really useful resources: www.wetlandsurveys.ie
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) protection of Ireland’s inland waterways: www.fisheriesireland.ie
The Herpetological Society of Ireland. Info on Irish native and alien invasive amphibians: www.thehsi.org
Freshwater Habitats Trust: a UK based charity, and project partner of An Taisce’s Legacy4LIFE, working to conserve freshwater wildlife for everyone to enjoy www.freshwaterhabitats.org.uk
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust UK (WWT) Wetland info (including ponds): www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetlands/ponds, WWT podcasts on ponds: www.youtube.com/@wwtorguk?si=uon65LdGkT7VfcKl
European Pond Conservation Network- promoting awareness, understanding and conservation of ponds: www.europeanponds.org
Ghost pond resurrection
Freshwater Biological Association (FBA). ‘Ghost pond’ resurrection: www.fba.org.uk/fba-voice/ghost-pond-resurrection-the-most-successful-ecological-restoration-ever-known
ArchAI. Bringing Forgotten Waterbodies Back into the Landscape: www.archai.io/losthabitats-1-2
Ponds for climate for climate change mitigation and adaptation
PONDERFUL (POND Ecosystems for Resilient Future Landscapes in a changing climate): a H2020 “Research and Innovation Programme” project funded by the European Union within the Call: Inter-relations between climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem services – www.ponderful.eu
PONDERFUL technical guide: Biggs, J., Hoyle, S., Matos, I., McDonald, H., Nicolet, P., Oertli, B., Teixeira, J. (2024). Ponds and pondscapes: A technical guide to the use of ponds and pondscapes as nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, EU Horizon 2020 Ponderful project, CIIMAR. www.ecologic.eu/19878.
Sustainable Drainage Systems
Feidhlim Harty (FH Wetland Systems) SUDs and Catchment Management Measures: www.wetlandsystems.ie/suds-and-catchment-management-measures/#:~:text=Stormwater%20is%20the%20rainwater%20that,as%20part%20of%20new%20developments.
National Transport Authority (NTA). Greening and Nature-based SuDS for Active Travel Schemes (2023): www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NTA-Advice-Note-Greening-NBS-SuDS-for-AT-Schemes_R01.pdf
South Dublin County Council. Householders Guide to Sustainable Drainage (SUDs) (2022): www.sdcc.ie/en/services/environment/environmental-health/natural-water/sustainable-drainage-systems/sdcc-householders-guide-to-sustainable-drainage-suds-.pdf
Providing habitats for invertebrates
Wildacres. How to create a deadwood habitat in your outdoor space:
www.wildacres.ie/deadwood-creating-new-life-at-wildacres
Wildlife Trust, how to make a hoverfly lagoon/rot hole: www.wildlifebcn.org/blog/guest-post/homemade-hoverfly-lagoons
NBDC Recognising Hoverflies: www.pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/hoverflies/recognising-hoverflies
Wild about Gardens, be a hoverfly hero! www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-02/Hoverfly%20Hero%20booklet.pdf (Note: the UK have approx. 270 hoverfly species, whereas Ireland has about 180 hoverfly species, so some of the species mentioned in this booklet may not be present in Ireland)
NBDC How to create solitary bee nest sites on your farm. Create a bee bank using excavated soil from your pond dig:
www.biodiversityireland.ie/app/uploads/2022/05/ActionSheet_Solitary-Bees-WEB-2.pdf
Farm Wildlife. How to create a beetle bank:
www.farmwildlife.info/how-to-do-it/farmed-area/beetle-banks
Art of Science Photography by Karl Gaff. An incredible closer view of pond plants, protists, crustaceans, invertebrates etc: www.artofsciencephotography.com/pondlife-gallery.html
Providing habitats for birds
Artificial Sand Martin Nesting Bank construction examples:
-Birdwatch Ireland www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLSXxB6lIh4
-Dermot Doran, Farmer (Co. Kildare)www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZJdmXRo-qY
-Wildacres www.instagram.com/reel/DXXOxC-CLoZ/
Providing habitats for amphibians and common lizards
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. How to build a hibernaculum for amphibians and reptiles: www.wiltshirewildlife.org/hibernaculum (note: Ireland only has 3 native amphibians- common frog, smooth newt and natterjack toad (restricted geographic spread, found naturally in coastal areas of Kerry, and one translocation site in Wexford, and one native reptile, the common/ viviparous lizard, whereas the UK has 7 native amphibians and 6 native reptiles)
Pond liners
Geoline Waterford: Pond lining specialists www.geoline.ie (NOTE: a pond liner is a last resort, check if you have clay first which can form a natural seal and retain water, or a high water table in a suitable location).
Monitoring schemes, recording and identification
Invasive Species Ireland: Cross-border venture which provides advice and resources for stakeholders, in addition to carrying out risk assessment, policy development, education and awareness activities, research and development of invasive species action plans www.invasivespeciesireland.ie, www.invasives.ie/resources/identification-guides
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) Aquatic Plant Project: aimed at improving aquatic plant identification skills and increase recording across Ireland. Resources from the project, including webinars, are free to view www.bsbi.org/aquatic-plant-project
National Biodiversity Data Centre: documenting Ireland’s wildlife www.biodiversityireland.ie Dragonfly & Damselfly monitoring scheme www.biodiversityireland.ie/surveys/dragonfly-ireland. Online courses www.learn.biodiversityireland.ie. Portal to Ireland’s Biodiversity Action Plans www.actionforbiodiversity.ie/action-plans
Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Hop To It Irish National Frog Survey: www.ipcc.ie/help-ipcc/hop-to-it-national-frog-survey-irelandcard
Useful Books & Field Guides
Ponds, Pools and Puddles (J. Biggs and P. Williams) www.freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/ponds-pools-and-puddles
Freshwater Life: Britain and Northern Europe (Collins Pocket Guide) (M. Greenhalgh and D. Ovenden) www.waterstones.com/book/freshwater-life/malcolm-greenhalgh/denys-ovenden/9780007177776
RHS How to create a wildlife pond (K. Bradbury) www.dubraybooks.ie/product/rhs-how-to-create-a-wildlife-pond-hb
The Farming for Nature Handbook: A practical Guide to Protecting and Restoring Nature on your Farm (E.E Hart, B. Barry & B. Dunford) www.farmingfornature.ie/product/farming-for-nature-handbook
Aquatic Plants in Ireland: A photographic Guide (J. Caffrey, R. Matson & R. O’Briain)
www.permits.fishinginireland.info/product/aquatic-plants-in-ireland-a-photographic-guide
The Big Pond Dip: Classifying your Pond using Macroinvertebrate Groups (Freshwater Habitats Trust) www.freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/advice-resources/survey-methods-hub/big-pond-dip
Field Studies Council (FSC) Field Guides: www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/whats-in-your-pond
NBDC plant and animal identification swatches: www.shop.biodiversityireland.ie/collections/swatches including Dragonfly and Damselfly swatch)
Hope you enjoy this non-exhaustive list. This will become a live list here on my website. I will add to this as/when new pond related resources emerge. If you have any suggestions relevant to this list, please contact me directly. Together let’s restore Ireland’s ponds and help create new wildlife ponds for nature to thrive in! Warm wishes, Aoife O’Rourke (True Nature Ecology)