Giving ponds their dew in the fight against climate change

We’re using some of our Carbon Neutral Fund to create a new dew pond on the downs.

Our Cityparks team will invest the £25,000 grant in a pilot project to create a new dew pond at the former golf course at Waterhall, which is now a local nature reserve. 

The pond will help increase biodiversity and will be an important freshwater link in the patchwork of habitats across the council’s Downland Estate and the wider South Downs National Park.

It will also provide opportunities for local children to discover the wonderful wildlife that lives below the ponds’ surface and learn about how nature can help heal the planet. 

Unsung heroes

Studies have found that ponds are one of the unsung heroes when it comes to improving biodiversity and reducing the effects of climate change.

A dew pond will attract migrating birds, waterfowl, thirsty mammals, and breeding frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies in the spring. They can be hotspots for many types of wildlife and plants that rely on wetlands, and they provide a stepping stone for species as they move across the landscape. 

Dew ponds are also remarkably efficient for their size at removing C02 and greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide from the atmosphere – a process known as ‘sequestration.’

Creating a freshwater life support system

Jamie Lloyd, lead councillor for biodiversity, said: “There has been an 84% collapse in freshwater species populations since 1970*. That alarming statistic means we must take action to protect and nurture wetland habitats. 

“Dew ponds are a part of the history of the South Downs and creating a new pond will have many benefits. They are the unsung heroes of the natural world and are in the front line of climate action, supporting wildlife and capturing harmful emissions.

“Having a network of dew ponds on our doorstep will be a fantastic opportunity to engage the next generation about the positive effects of acting on climate change and protecting biodiversity. The council is proud to be part of a network of local organisations and community groups working together to expand this freshwater life support system across the South Downs.”

*Source: World Wildlife Fund – Living Planet Index

Dew ponds on the South Downs

Farmers originally created dew ponds as a source of water for their sheep. In an otherwise dry chalky landscape, these oases provide drinking water and a home for wildlife and plants that need this environment to survive.

It’s estimated that 39% of dewponds in the South Downs region have been lost, and many more are no longer visible in the landscape.

We’ll be working on the project through the winter and spring so that the pond can fill with natural rainwater.

In September the council was part of a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund which will help restore the village pond at Falmer, which has been badly affected by hot, dry summers in recent years. The award of just over £130k development funding is for wetland habitats in the South Downs National Park. Some of the money will go towards a feasibility study to restore the pond and we’ll be working closely with the parish council and local community to put in a bid for the next stage of the project.

Biodiversity is the planet’s life support system. Protecting and restoring nature underpins the health and wellbeing of people and wildlife in an era of climate change. 

More information

Other dew pond projects in our area

Our partners

Wilding Waterhall was also awarded £15,500 from the Carbon Neutral Fund in October to make accessible guided trails around the new Waterhall Local Nature Reserve. The funding will give people low-carbon options to travel to the site, provide a new electric vehicle and raise awareness of the positive actions we are taking to tackle the climate change and biodiversity emergency.

Discover Wilding Waterhall on our website

Find out more about dew ponds in Brighton & Hove

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