Imagine the difference if every Mayo household had a pond

COUNTRYFILE

LIVING as we do, being surrounded by water for 10 months of the year or more, we could be excused for thinking that the last thing we could possibly do for the country is to dig a pond.

Yet most of our water is either running through streams and rivers, else contained within lakes and loughs, or simply lying around on the surface in the vain hope that one day soon there will be somewhere it might drain away.

Those who study climate and the reasons behind it have been telling us we should expect Ireland to become wetter, so why should we take steps to make it wetter still?

One reason is that a small pond can create a unique type of habitat with its own special mix of life.

While larger bodies of water will contain both predators (especially in the form of large fish) and prey species, a pond in the corner of the garden will hold only smaller animals, and will give them room to thrive.

A small pond, with a good diversity of native aquatic vegetation, can act as a mini carbon sink.

While one pond might achieve little on its own, imagine the difference it would make to our national carbon emissions if every household had one. We could finally make some progress, and feel as though we were making a personal contribution in the face of a crisis.

Back in the summer (What? you may rightly ask) I spent some time with a group of biology students from a certain university.

Together we explored an area of bog, and after a small bit of searching we found a frog. I was astounded at the fascination shown as this once commonplace animal hopped and crawled to take itself away to a place of safety.

That really got me thinking. Have we come so far as to make the frog so very scarce that the sight of one would hold a group of adults spellbound?

Land improvement, including drainage and the application of fertilisers and other chemicals, has robbed the frog of his rightful living.

Now, I’m certainly not in favour of giving up our own food security so that we can see a frog or two as we scour the land for subsistence.

But if we were to provide somewhere for frogs as well as for newts, water beetles, dragonflies and damselflies and more to get on with their lives, we should quite soon start to see our fellow creatures far more often.

A pond does not need to be large to be effective. An area the size of a dining table would benefit even a small garden. What is needed is a permanent body of water that does not dry out if we ever again experience a week without rain.

It does not need to be deep either. Some may worry about safety, especially if there are small children running around. A foot of water is far better than no water at all.

Little expense is involved. What more is needed than a spade and a spare couple of hours? A pond liner can be acquired for no more than a few euros. Get the best you can afford though; if you do, your pond will last many years.

It won’t be long before frogs and newts discover even an urban pond, and once they do they will certainly make use of it.

Flying creatures will appear, as if from nowhere. Your new creation will quickly become an object of fascination for young and old together.