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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · 14h

⏰ There’s one week left to help us to map some of the best ponds in England and Wales!

Volunteers have been busy helping us to identify potential Priority Ponds, but there's still time to get involved: https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/advice-resources/survey-methods-hub/priority-pond-survey/

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · 19h

Water policy is getting a shakeup in response to outcry at the state of our freshwaters. Including small waters like ponds, streams and ditches in the upcoming Water Reform Bill can bring clean water back to our landscapes.

👉 https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/small-waters-water-reform-bill/

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · 2d

⚠️ We can’t afford to weaken national park protections.

We stand with Campaign for National Parks and have joined their calls asking the Prime Minister to not weaken the laws protecting national parks and National Landscapes: www.cnp.org.uk/about/our-wo...

Photo of a stone path leading downhill toward a lake, with mountains in the background.

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · 8d

Could your local pond be a Priority Pond? By carrying out a PASS survey, you could help to add it to the map and ensure that it is protected. 🐸

Find out more here, and carry out your survey by October 17th: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/advice-resou...

Two people sat in front of a pond, one holding a document and the other pointing to it.

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Reposted by Freshwater Habitats Trust

Wildlife and Countryside Link @wclnews.bsky.social · 8d

Scrapping the Climate Change Act would be an act of national self-harm🚨

It inspired laws across the globe, billions in green investment, and a promise to protect future generations🌱

That promise must not be broken⛓️‍💥

Read more👇

www.wcl.org.uk/ripping-up-c...

#ClimateChangeAct

Ripping up Climate Change Act would be an act of national self-harm

www.wcl.org.uk

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · 14d

A timely report from the Campaign for National Parks with @theriverstrust.bsky.social underlines why we need to prioritise protecting the best remaining freshwaters.

Read our blog on the Rivers at Risk Report: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/rivers-...

📷 Lymington River (c) Katharina Brandt/Alamy

A river, reflecting trees with autumn leaves.

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · 21d

There’s four weeks left for our Priority Pond surveys!

🔎 Our fantastic volunteers have completed 180 surveys so far. Could you help us to survey even more ponds?

Priority Ponds have high conservation value and we need your help to find them.
👉 freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/.../priority...

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Reposted by Freshwater Habitats Trust

Countryside Jobs Service @countrysidejobs.bsky.social · Sep 1

Research reveals 24 most important landscapes for freshwater wildlife - @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
Published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence, the research pinpoints the regions – from the Scottish border to Cornwall – that are richest in freshwater plants and animals.
c-js.co.uk/3JAaoOF

Research reveals 24 most important landscapes for freshwater wildlife

A new study has identified the 24 most important landscapes for freshwater wildlife in England and Wales. Published today (1st September) in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence, the…

c-js.co.uk

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Sep 1

📢 A new study, published in @aer-ese-bes.bsky.social, sets out the vision for the Freshwater Network – our new national strategy to tackle the crisis facing freshwater species – and identifies the 24 most important landscapes for freshwater wildlife in England and Wales:

Building the Freshwater Network: A new approach to the identification of freshwater biodiversity hotspots and restoration opportunities in England and Wales

Existing water environment policy, mostly focused on the siloed management of large waters, has not succeeded in restoring freshwater biodiversity in England and Wales. This study outlines the Freshw...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Aug 28

⚠️ The Planning and Infrastructure Bill undermines the protection of our rarest habitats and species. It’s an open door to irreversible environmental damage.

Without stronger safeguards, protected nature sites are at risk of destruction: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/respons...

Response to amendments to Planning and Infrastructure Bill

The Government's amendments to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill don’t go far enough to protect our best nature sites.

freshwaterhabitats.org.uk

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Aug 22

🚨 Some of our most exceptionally important habitats, such as ancient ice age ponds, raised bogs and species-rich meadows, are at risk of destruction under the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

We call on the Government to ensure these special places are protected. ⬇️

Response to amendments to Planning and Infrastructure Bill

The Government's amendments to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill don’t go far enough to protect our best nature sites.

freshwaterhabitats.org.uk

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Aug 19

Troubling reports of a second planning bill that will further weaken protections for threatened habitats and species.

If the Government proceeds with these reforms, it will have broken entirely with its manifesto pledge to ‘tackle the nature emergency’.

Read our full response:

Freshwater Habitats Trust response to new Planning Bill rumours

We’re hearing troubling reports of a second planning bill, which would weaken protections for habitats and protected species.

freshwaterhabitats.org.uk

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Aug 14

⚠️ We call on the Government to explicitly protect Irreplaceable Habitats in the Planning & Infrastructure Bill, or we risk losing them forever.

These habitats, such as lowland fens and ancient woodland, are especially vulnerable to destruction. Once lost, they are impossible to recreate 👇

Response to amendments to Planning and Infrastructure Bill

The Government's amendments to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill don’t go far enough to protect our best nature sites.

freshwaterhabitats.org.uk

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Aug 13

Are you part of a nature group in England or Wales? Could you help us to identify Priority Ponds?

Learn how to carry out a survey on our website, and please help us to spread the word! ➡️ freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/advice-resou...

Photo of a toad, partly submerged in water. Text reads 'Can you help us to map Priority Ponds?'

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Aug 12

🔎 Join us and Yorkshire Dragonfly Group this Saturday (16th August) for a guided walk on Strensall MTA in search of dragonflies and damselflies!

For full details and to book, visit: freshwaterhabitats.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/...

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 31

High quality ponds are vital for life in freshwater, but we don’t know where most of them are. 🐸

Volunteers are helping us to map them so we can protect these vital habitats and the species that depend on them.

Find out more and get involved 👉 freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/.../priority...

Aerial view of aquatic plants growing in shallow water.

Pond with plants growing around and out of the water and trees behind.

Pond reflecting the trees behind and deep blue sky.

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 28

⚠️ The Planning and Infrastructure Bill remains a threat to nature.

The Government has tabled several amendments to Part 3 of the Bill. These amendments have plugged some of the gaping holes in the Bill, but they don’t go far enough.

Read our response: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/respons...

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 25

The Independent Water Commission published its final report this week.

Small waters – like ponds, headwater streams, and small wetlands – will be vital in the long-overdue restoration of our water environment

Read our response to the report: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/respons...

Stream running through an upland habitat, with a pond in the distance. A caption reads Independent Water Commission Final Report: our response.

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 24

Find out more ➡️
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/livesto...

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 24

Low-intensity livestock grazing is often overlooked as a conservation tool for managing high-quality freshwater habitats.

Livestock affect freshwater habitats by:
🌱 Grazing – nibbling and tearing vegetation
🐄 Poaching – churning of wet ground by hooves

#FreshwaterNetwork #ProtectTheBest

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 18

"While our research has shown that many freshwater species readily bounce back from occasional periods of drought, we know that excessively hot, dry weather year after year can bring more profound long-term changes to both standing and running waters."

Read our drought comment: lnkd.in/eYJ6hs6C

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 17

Our strategy to build the Freshwater Network involves creating a network of wilder, wetter, cleaner, more connected habitats for wildlife.

We need a radical shift to restore the freshwater environment: ➡️https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/five-reasons-why-we-need-the-freshwater-network/

Trees reflected on a pond with a blue sky behind. Caption reads: '5 reasons why we need the Freshwater Network'.

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 17

Volunteers are playing a critical role in restoring Oxfordshire's alkaline fens - one of Britain’s most endangered and vulnerable freshwater habitats. Thank you to everyone for giving your time and braving all kinds of weather to make such a difference for freshwater wildlife.

Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Jul 16

#Volunteers are so important in management of of wildlife sites in Oxfordshire. Here I'm helping others #scything & raking at a small spring fen site (Raleigh Park) cutting greater reedmace, hard rush & dense yellow iris. & spreading marsh lousewort seed. @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 16

Our CEO @jeremybiggs.bsky.social is a co-author of a paper in Hydrobiologia on the complex interplay between physical characteristics, land use and climate on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in ponds.

This research was part of the EU Horizon 2020 #PONDERFUL project.

👉 rdcu.be/eqrhl

Pond with lots of plants. A woman is in a kayak in the pond, carrying out a scientific survey.

A woman in a kayak in a countryside pond.

A woman syringing water into a jug, with a large bucket of green coloured pond water on the table. The photo is taken outdoors with trees behind.

A woman holding a clipboard, looking at a pond fringed with plants. In the pond is another woman in a kayak.

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Freshwater Habitats Trust @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social · Jul 14

On Friday, we welcomed two Secretaries of State - Steve Reed and Ed Miliband - to Hinksey Heights Fen in Oxford.

We gave the Ministers a tour and explained how restoration is bringing back rare species to one of our most vulnerable freshwater habitats.

👉 freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/secreta...

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