THREE ponds at Lower Smite Farm near Droitwich Spa have undergone extensive restoration to help their frog and toad populations thrive.
The 150-acre farm, an operational base for the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust (WWT), boasts arable fields, woodland and an orchard.
The site, managed with wildlife in mind, offers a rich variety of habitats.
The wetland areas – two larger ponds, two shallow scrapes and a small pond – are crucial for amphibians and reptiles, including great crested newts and grass snakes, as well as a range of aquatic species like dragonfly nymphs and water scorpions.
In recent years, water levels have dropped and the reed cover has increased which, the WWT feels, could have contributed to fewer sightings of frog and toad spawn, along with aquatic invertebrates.
Truxors – amphibious vehicles – were used to remove around 70 per cent of the reed cover and increase the volume of open water habitat for wildlife.
This will allow insect life to thrive whilst also ensuring habitats for birds, such as reed warblers so they can breed next year. Removed vegetation was put into piles nearby to provide habitats for wildlife including breeding grass snakes.
With the ponds being near the Barbourne Brook, the increased water-holding capacity will also act as natural flood management.
Jasmine Walters, the trust’s wildlife and farming officer, said: “With natural habitats in decline, it is important we optimise our nature reserves for wildlife.
“We hope these works will allow aquatic species to flourish on site.”
The work was deliberately undertaken at this time of year to minimise disruption – amphibians hibernate on land and birds are not currently breeding in the vegetation.
Jasmine added: “The good news is that, just after the works took place and the cold weather took hold, I spotted a common darter dragonfly laying eggs on one of the restored areas. We can’t wait to see how the life here bounces back.”
As well as benefiting wildlife, the works will also support the trust’s education team, which regularly uses the pond in outdoor learning sessions with school groups.
The pond improvements were made possible with partnership funding.
Natural Networks is a partnership project between Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Worcestershire County Council, part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and he Forestry Commission.
The Worcestershire Working with Water project is a natural flood management project led by the county council with funding from the Regional Flood and Coastal Defence Committee (RFCC) and supported across the county by the Environment Agency.
Visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/lower-smitefarm for more information.
