"The two ponds returning on farmland are the 25th and 26th ice age ponds to be restored by Sayer's team of academics, volunteers and an enthusiastic digger driver in the Brecks, a hotspot for ancient ponds and pingos formed by ice-melt 10,000 years ago. Over the past two centuries, thousands of such ponds have been filled in as land was drained and improved for crops."
"So far, most of the 26 ponds have been revived on land bought by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which has supported the restoration effort with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund's Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers landscape partnership scheme. But the latest two ponds have been dug out thanks to a Norfolk farmer, who is one of an increasing number of private landowners reviving ghost and zombie ponds."
Two circle-shaped ice-age ponds in a Norfolk pasture have been excavated and are quickly recolonised by wetland plants. The ponds are the 25th and 26th restorations in the Brecks, a landscape of ponds and pingos formed by ice-melt about 10,000 years ago. Thousands of such ponds were filled in during the past two centuries as land was drained for agriculture. A team of academics, volunteers and a digger driver, supported by Norfolk Wildlife Trust and National Lottery funding, has led restorations, with private farmers also participating. Surveys show 22 restored ghost ponds since 2022 now support 136 wetland plant species, representing 70% of the flora found across hundreds of nearby ponds. Recolonisation often yields water plants within a year and a mature appearance within two years.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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