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The eDNA results are in: you are awesome! |
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This spring and summer part of the PondNet team, comprising 112 volunteers plus staff, undertook an exciting new survey: an assessment of the status of England’s Great Crested Newt (GCN) population using environmental DNA (eDNA).
We have developed and trialled the GCN eDNA survey method with the SpyGen laboratory, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and the Durrell Institute of Conservtion and Ecology, over the last few years. This year, thanks to funding from Natural England and our Heritage Lottery Funded, People Ponds and Water project, we rolled it out in the first ever national eDNA survey WORLDWIDE!
Now the results are in... |
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Read More > |
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Losing species from our loveliest ponds |
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Our re-visit to beautiful National Pond Survey sites was tinged with sadness as many plants have been lost.
Twenty-five years ago, when Freshwater Habitats Trust was in its infancy, we undertook the first national survey of ponds in Britain. We collected plants and invertebrate data from over 150 ponds in some of the UK’s most beautiful places –everywhere from shallow serpentine pools on the Lizard to the wildwood lochans of Abernethy Forest in Scotland.
This summer our Technical Director, Penny Williams who surveyed the plants in our original survey, returned to 29 survey sites. It is was an important piece of information gathering because there are incredibly few long-term data sets for freshwater habitats, and none look at biodiversity changes in our highest quality ponds in National Nature Reserves, SSSIs and National Parks. |
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Making our position clear on climate change and fracking |
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As a freshwater charity, there are issues that we take a clear position on in order to inform our own policy and practice. To make our position on key issues transparent, we are beginning a new series of Policy Position statements that outline the issue, how it affects freshwater biodiversity, and what we’ll do about it. Our first two statements are on the very topical issues of Climate Change and Fracking.
Climate Change and Freshwater
In the UK, habitat loss and pollution are still the main threats degrading freshwater biodiversity. Climate change is the new kid on the block, but is rapidly emerging as a major concern. Global warming effects are already here: causing local extinctions in UK streams and the disappearance of pond species from southern Britain.
Fracking
Shale fracking is currently a contentious issue. So our second Policy Position Statement outlines the evidence for impacts on freshwater habitats. Overall our view is that shale fracking, which involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into the ground under high pressure to extract oil and gas, should not be licensed in the UK. |
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Read More > |
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Hello! |
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Welcome, to our new readers, and thank you everyone for your interest in freshwaters and our work. We have a range of stories for you this month, and there are more on our blog and news pages, including our latest Meet the Team post. This time it is Naomi, National Coordinator for People, Ponds & Water.
We'll soon be using a new system to look after our mailing lists. You may receive emails saying you have been added to a new mailing list. We are working to keep this to a minimum. If you get an email, you don't have to do anything but if you have any concerns, please get in touch. |
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A daily reminder... |
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Pop a daily reminder of our fantastic freshwaters on your wall |
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A perfect Christmas gift for a freshwater lover - our calendar helps raise funds so that we can continue our work understanding and speaking up for freshwater wildlife.
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Defend Nature |
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In December, UK Environment Minister Rory Stewart will be in Brussels to talk about what needs to be done to halt and reverse the loss of our wildlife by 2020. We want him to know he’s got support from across the UK to help him to defend the Nature Directives – legislation vital to the protection of vulnerable habitats and species. Our glorious freshwater wildlife deserves the fullest protection.
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Thank you PondNetters! |
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We'd like to send a huge thank you to all the PondNet volunteers who have submitted records for 2015. We've had over 250 volunteers submit plant, invertebrate, amphibian, habitat and water quality data from over 300 sites, and the results are still coming in. A summary of the results will be available soon; keep an eye on the People, Ponds and Water website. Email us to find out what opportunities there are for taking part in PondNet in 2016. |
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The Pond Book |
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A great gift for a pond lover The Pond Book brings together all our knowledge about the management of ponds. It's a great resource that we use ourselves.
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