Useful Pond Resources
Website links:
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 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)
The Hare’s Corner: An initiative to help landowners make more space for nature through creation of habitats www.theharescorner.ie
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
Wildacres Nature Reserve: www.wildacres.ie. Wildlife Pond Workshops www.wildacres.ie/creating-a-wildlife-pond
Feidhlim Harty (FH Wetland Systems), Nature-based Solutions for Water: www.wetlandsystems.ie
Pond Design and Construction with Feidhlim Harty for The Hare's Corner: www.youtu.be/gBoMkOISAOA
Feidhlim Harty Ponds for Farms and Communities: www.youtu.be/eIPd7UU_V90
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
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
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
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) protection of Ireland’s inland waterways: www.fisheriesireland.ie
Freshwater Habitats Trust: a UK based charity, and project partner of Legacy4LIFE, working to conserve freshwater wildlife for everyone to enjoy www.freshwaterhabitats.org.uk
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.
Geoline Waterford: Pond lining specialists www.geoline.ie
Useful Books & Field Guides
Ponds, Pools and Puddles (Jeremy Biggs and Penny Williams) www.freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/ponds-pools-and-puddles
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. 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)