During 2004 and 2005, the Council surveyed ponds in the city to find:
- where the best ponds are
- those which are important to wildlife
- and those which could, with careful management, be made more valuable for nature.
As part of this survey, the public were asked to look at ponds in their gardens.
Why survey ponds?
We wanted to find out more about ponds in Derby because:
- nationally, ponds are recognised as a threatened habitat
- ponds are a rich source of wildlife, either living in them, or visiting for food and water, and are an important habitat in Derby
- some ponds are natural, others are man-made, some are permanent, others are seasonal. Even temporary ponds are important for wildlife
- we may find unusual or rare plants and animals in our ponds.
Survey findings
A big thank you to everyone who completed a pond survey form. The 'WildDerby' project had an excellent response from people across the city. We can now start to understand the value of ponds for Derby wildlife, particularly garden ponds.
The survey has found that garden ponds are more important for frogs and toads than our field ponds, where a lack of appropriate management appears to be reducing wildlife value. However, garden and field ponds are equally important for newts and dragonflies.
All members of the public completing a survey form stated they appreciated their pond for the wildlife it attracted and the pleasure it brought to them. Several garden ponds have attracted kingfisher. So, Derby gardeners, keep up the good work.
Download the Derby City Pond Survey Report 
1.37mb.
Frogs, toads and newts
These are creatures which spend part of their life in water and part of their life on dry land. It is usually only during their breeding season, in spring and early summer, that frogs, toads and newts are actually found in water. The rest of the time these amphibians live in damp places on land.
Amphibians are declining and are threatened by losses of wetland habitat.
The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust 
magazine 'Wild Derbyshire' has an article on amphibians 
261kb in its winter/spring 2004 edition. Copyright Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
Natural England have produced a useful guide on 'Wildlife friendly ponds in your garden' 50kb.
Schools
Topical Resources publish a range of photocopiable teacher resource books. Extracts 989kb from 'The Photocopiable Pond Activity Book', are reproduced with their kind permission.
For additional information on ponds you can visit these websites
For further information contact
Derby City Council
Regeneration and Community
Roman House
Friar Gate
Derby DE1 1XB
Telephone 01332 255021 Minicom 01332 256666 Fax 01332 255989 email wildderby@derby.gov.uk