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Langton Pond
The 18m by 12m wildlife pond was constructed in April 2005 adjacent to Langton Wood. The edges are uneven to maximise the length of the margins, as this is where a majority of aquatic invertebrate species are found.
At its deepest point it is 1.5m, ensuring that it will not freeze completely in the winter. For health and safety reasons no area drops off too steeply, although by varying the depth of shelves we have maximised the range of plants that will eventually be found.
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 | Whilst we would have liked to have constructed a puddled clay pond, in order to ensure that it holds water year round we opted to use an artificial liner with protective membrane. A pipe leading from our sports hall roof taps into rainwater runoff to keep water levels topped up. An overflow leads to a marshy area and ditch running toward the wood, to direct overflow away from a public footpath.
Two dipping platforms allow the analysis of deep and shallow water. Since it was filled members of the environmental club have carried weekly pond deeps, allowing us to chart colonisation and development of aquatic invertebrate populations.
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With help from the Kentish Stour Countryside Project the pond was planted with a range of indigenous species.
As the pond was filled with mains water and the liner was covered with field soil, the pond water was initially nutrient rich. As a result a couple of weeks after filling there was an algal bloom. When the wind blew the algae toward the shallow platform a fine net was used to scoop out a majority of it. |
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 | Invasive species will inevitably find their way into the pond, such as duck weed and willow saplings, which appeared in October 2005. As far as possible these species need to be removed before they gain a foothold.
As our pond has an artificial liner, risk of damage to the liner needs to be minimised. When pond dipping we have to ensure that we do not jab the nets into the sediment too vigorously. As the liner extends beyond the pond margins frequent checks are made to ensure that liner has not become exposed - Before plants became established around the pond this was a particular problem.
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| Awards: | British Naturalists Association Blake Shield 2005 |
| Funding: | Specialist Science School Funding
Volvo Adventure Prize Money |
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