Illustrations by Stuart Jackson Carter

How to make a wildlife pond

Create a watery haven in your garden with our simple step-by-step wildlife pond guide. Creating a pond is one of the best things you can do for wildlife and is a great way to entice more visitors to your garden.

Sarah McPherson

Published: April 14, 2020 at 1:48 pm

“Garden ponds are vital for wildlife,” says Kathryn Walker of the Freshwater Habitats Trust. “They act as stepping-stones in areas that have lost other bodies of water in the landscape and can be particularly useful for species such as frogs and newts, providing links within an increasingly fragmented habitat.”

There are thought to be approximately 478,000 ponds in the British countryside, but many of them are threatened by pollution, drainage and development. Nevertheless, British gardeners have added an estimated two to three million garden ponds, which together provide significant habitat.

Creating a wildlife pond only takes a weekend, yet can deliver results very quickly. “Build a pond, fill it with rainwater and within a few hours wildlife in the form of flying insects will start arriving,” says Kathryn. “Plant it with native plants found close to home to make sure you’re providing the best natural habitat for local species, and within a year or two you’ll have an established wildlife pond. And having a pond will also bring more birds, mammals and invertebrates to your garden.”

All illustrations by Stuart Jackson Carter

You will need:

Spade
Pond liner
Pond plants
Turf or stones
Sand or gravel to line

Planting your pond – six top tips

1. Offering a mix of long grass, log piles and rocks will encourage frogs to stay all year and provide stopping-off points for dispersing froglets. Slabs or strips of timber will shelter newts and frogs.

2. Most creatures and plants live in the shallow water at the edges, so create a pond that is 25–30cm deep with gently sloping edges to provide the best habitat for amphibians and invertebrates.

3. Think like a pond creature. These animals want dense vegetation that offers a place to hide and encourages other creatures that are a vital food source.

4. Allow grasses and plants to trail over the edge of the pond. This will provide great habitat for water beetles.

5. Garden centres stock native water plants. Look for the ‘Be Plant Wise’ logo, which indicates that they have been sourced responsibly.

6. Get species that already grow in the area, so try freshwater sources within 30km of your home (make sure you ask the landowner’s permission if necessary). You can let plants populate naturally, but this process can take a few years.

Sarah McPherson

Features editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Sarah is features editor for BBC Wildlife Magazine. She has been on the title for more than a decade, and in previous lives has also been the magazine’s section editor, acting deputy editor and production editor. Sarah commissions scientists, writers and photographers from across the globe, and has worked with some of the world’s most renowned wildlife experts. She also regularly writes features - on topics ranging from birding in Colombia to the plight of wildlife rangers - and other content for both the magazine and the website.