A small group of residents has successfully crowdfunded a campaign to renovate the pond in St Andrews Park, saving its biodiversity at the same time as making it more accessible to all.
The group, which carries out regular volunteer maintenance work of the pond and the surrounding area in St Andrew’s Park, with the approval of FoSAP (Friends of St Andrew’s Park) and Bristol City Council, sought help to fund the planned improvement works, so that people of all ages could continue to enjoy the pond for years to come.
Many recent visitors to the pond had noticed that the water level was unusually low. Investigations found that pond plant roots had grown through the old pond liner in several places, meaning it was no longer watertight and simply drained away, no matter how much it was topped up.
In addition, many of the plants have thrived so well that they were turning it back into dry land, despite annual clearance sessions by dedicated volunteers in waders and armed with secateurs.
The pond was first designed, dug and planted by FoSAP volunteers over a sunny week back in 1993 and has since flourished, becoming home to all sorts of fascinating creatures including newts, frogs, toads, snails, dragonflies and damselflies. It also provides a source of food and water for hundreds of the park’s birds and squirrels and is even visited by foxes, mice and bats.
Last year’s National Gene Pool survey of St Andrew’s Park pond identified the DNA of more than 40 species living in or around the pond.
The group arranged a public consultation, both online and in person in the park, to gather suggestions for improvements to the pond. These will be incorporated into the final plans, where possible. Plans for the revitalised pond and surrounding area include: making the gate and path fully wheelchair and pushchair accessible; carefully decanting the water and wildlife while the pond is de-silted, re-dug and re-lined, then returning them; a proper weatherproof information panel inside the pond area; bird and bat boxes; seating and more wildflowers for pollinators – all reusing materials wherever possible.
Donations to the crowdfunding appeal exceeded the group’s expectations, but applications are also being made to grant-making bodies for financial assistance to cover further costs of the project.
Trucie Mitchell, of FoSAP and the Pond Sub-Group, said that “once official papers have been signed, we can ‘go public’ with details of the funding and plans.” The crowdfunding page remains open, if anyone wishes to donate: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/st-andrews-park-pond-renovation