Author: Helen Greaves

Helen is currently completing her PhD research which aims to assess the value of pond management for biodiversity conservation. Her work focuses on macroinvertebrate community assemblages and water chemistry analysis. Helen acts as secretary and as a co-organiser of the Norfolk Ponds Project meetings and sits as a student member on the European Pond Conservation Network’s steering committee.

Farmland Ponds – wildlife havens in the landscape

March 24, 2021

On the 12th January 2021, NPP committee members Helen Greaves and Carl Sayer from UCL, joined forces with the Suffolk Ponds Group to provide a webinar to look at the lowland farm pond and its value for wildlife. The webinar can be watched here. Hosted by the Suffolk Ponds Group, with support from Natural England … More Farmland Ponds – wildlife havens in the landscape

Rare wetland plant resurrected after over a century

November 28, 2020

A rare UK wetland plant has been found in Norfolk after more than a century in hiding, report UCL researchers.  In July a survey team from UCL’s Department of Geography discovered the flowering plant, known as Grass-Poly, at a farmland pond restored by the Norfolk Ponds Project back in February 2020. Pond restoration in Norfolk’s farmland … More Rare wetland plant resurrected after over a century

NPP Inspiration Richard Waddingham is honoured in Daily Telegraph

November 28, 2020

Richard Waddingham, the farmer and landowner who inspired the UCL Pond Restoration Research that provides the scientific basis for our Norfolk Ponds Project, has been honoured in the Daily Telegraph obituaries today. More information about Richard can be found on http://www.greenthefarm.org and his work is being continued by Richard’s nephew John Waddingham.

Pond soundscapes

August 13, 2020

We understand that pond restoration has a dramatic effect on the species richness and biodiversity of farmland ponds and that our research has shown this to be true for aquatic plants, amphibians, fish and insects. However, perhaps it may be possible to measure these changes in diversity by simply listening to the sounds of a … More Pond soundscapes

Dr Polly is peddling to support the BIG 50!

September 12, 2019

Whilst the UCL Pond Restoration Research Group and NPP volunteers are working on Pond 10 of the #BIG50 project today, we will be being supported by one intrepid adventurer who is raising money for our project and raising awareness of the huge number of ponds in the Norfolk countryside. Below, Dr Polly Ashford, explains why … More Dr Polly is peddling to support the BIG 50!

UCL Pond Week Kicks Off with Grasshopper Pond!

September 7, 2019

The BIG 50 UCL pond week commenced today with scrub clearnence at a mammoth pond in Hindolveston, Norfolk. After a heavy downpour to start the day, a huge team of enthusiastic UCL staff and students, old and new, joined long-time local supporters of the Norfolk Ponds Project to clear the vegetation around Grasshopper Pond: a … More UCL Pond Week Kicks Off with Grasshopper Pond!

Restoration success

July 29, 2019

On the left, the pond before digging; on the right, the pond two years later. Prior to restoration in 2014, Beckett’s Farm pond was so heavily overgrown it was hard to even get inside to survey. Once inside, only a few dark inches of water remained. The willow was removed to reduce the amount of … More Restoration success