In 2005, we signed up to "Tir Gofal". This is a Welsh Assembly scheme to encourage environmentally friendly farming. We have undertaken to regenerate certain hedgerows, restrict access of livestock to certain areas and create two ponds.

Work began excavating the new ponds up near the farmhouse in February 2007. An old pond on the site used to leak and the new ones will be lined with clay. There is a spring in the farmyard, the "Ffynnon" after which the farm was named, which provides the water. This is channelled first into Pond 1 and when that is full, overflows into Pond 2. Over several months, the water level in Pond 1 rose gradually but only to about two thirds full. After that, evaporation approximately balanced inflow.

Here you can see Pond 1 partially filled. Dry weather at first meant the grass seed I scattered around the rim did not germinate, but an algal scum developed in the rather brown water. You can see the still empty Pond 2 beyond on the right. I imported a few containers of water from other ponds in the district to encourage microscopic life and it was not long before the waters were teeming with little creatures. Water boatmen and water skaters zipped around and small shapes could be seen wriggling and wandering around below the surface. I transplanted a few pondside plants such as water forgetmenot, various mints, brookweed, marsh marigold and monkey flower. Duckweed and pond grasses seem to have arrived from somewhere.

Then in late June 2007, torrential downpours and a lot of steady rain swelled the inflow into Pond 1 to such an extent that it started to overflow into Pond 2. Under such wet conditions, water flows down our entrance lane and this augments the flow from the spring. Pond 2 was nearly completely full in two days.

So now, things look very different. The grass surrounding the rims has flourished, I have pulled up hundreds of stinging nettle seedlings and it all looks as if it might have been established for years. We have bought a ride-on mower to keep some paths clear, but whether we can manoeuvre it along the pond rims I am unsure. Swallows skim accross the surface of the water, but when Sami wanted to play ducks and drakes, I found myself feeling very protective of the new ponds.
Finally, here is a photograph of Seaton admiring a good blaze.

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