Summer Term's Do One Thing: Ponds and Water
It's time to take the plunge and find out how to make your school grounds a haven for frogs, dragonflies and other water-loving wildlife.
All the information you need to get started can be downloaded here. The Teachers' Notes will help you to create mini-ponds and a mini-bog garden. Once created, these mini-wetlands will soon be teeming with wildlife. You will be able to use the ponds and bog garden as a focal point for your pupils to learn about water and how wildlife uses it.
As well as information on how to help wildlife, we have included some advice and useful links to help your school conserve water, leaving more for wildlife.
A curriculum guide provides information applicable to all areas of the country.
Please click on the links on the left to download copies of the Teachers' Notes, bug dial, water collection activity and Curriculum Links to get you started.
Teachers notes and activity packs
For the Welsh Teacher's notes, click here
For the Welsh version, click here
For the Welsh version, click here
If you're having problems downloading the PDFs you might need to download Adobe Acrobat 9.
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What you might see
- Water Lilies - Pygmy water lilies can be a good addition to your pond. They are attractive plants and give places for some creatures to hide and for others to enjoy the sunshine. Look out for damselflies resting on the surface.
- Dragonflies - Dragonflies are never far from water. They lay their eggs in the water and for most of their life they live there as nymphs before emerging for the final part of their lives as beautiful creatures on gossamer wings.
- Amphibians - Amphibians, like common frogs, live their lives in water but need to come to the surface to breathe. There are only six species of amphibians in the UK.
- Aquatic Minibeasts - Many bugs live their lives in the water, like this water boatman. These common predators swim upside down just under the surface of the water moving themselves along with their powerful hind legs.
- Mammals - If you have any trees around, there is a chance that you might get a visit from squirrels or mice coming to enjoy a drink.
What can children do?
Children will be able to:
- help plan your bog garden and ponds
- prepare the ponds and bog garden, including planting some useful plants
- make a bug dial to help identify inhabitants and visitors to your mini-wetland
- observe, monitor and identify visiting wildlife
- work out how much water could be collected in a water butt
- learn about the value of water and how to conserve it
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