Restore ponds for nature and the planet

Aim

To create more spaces for wildlife and help the planet by restoring ponds at our Glascoed nature reserve.

Who are we, and what is our project about? 

At Wild Ground Tir Gwyllt, we inspire communities in North East Wales to connect with and protect nature. We work for the benefit of people, places and planet through practical habitat restoration, engagement activities with communities, volunteering opportunities, and education and awareness raising. We are fundraising to restore ponds within our Glascoed nature reserve in Denbighshire.  

At Wild Ground, we think ponds are brilliant! So much so, that they are absolutely integral to the work we do as wildlife conservationists. Whilst we manage a variety of different habitats across our reserves - including woodland, meadows and hedgerows - ponds are the key piece of the puzzle, connecting all of these spaces into a beautiful mosaic. Our ponds may be small, but they are definitely mighty! 

They are absolutely teeming with life, making them biodiversity hotspots in the landscape, and when compared to rivers, streams and lakes, they are disproportionately rich in species! This makes them amazingly versatile – providing important water sources across our reserves for mammals and birds (even during periods of drought), providing shelter and homes for amphibians such as newts, frogs and toads, and even contributing to climate resilience.  

Our project will restore ponds not only for the benefit of nature, but also for the planet. Ponds are excellent carbon sequesters; just like trees, they have the ability to bury organic carbon at rates even higher than woodlands or grasslands. When managed and looked after correctly, they can also slow down water run off too – serving as natural flood defences.  

Why does Glascoed nature reserve matter? 

This funding will be key in helping us to fully restore important ponds within our Glascoed nature reserve, which is hidden away behind the St. Asaph Business Park, providing a stepping-stone for wildlife to the wider countryside.  

Glascoed is an open access site which boasts two small wooded-areas that are connected by three fields of meadow which – quite literally – buzz with life in the spring and summer months with insects galore! Dragonflies such as the emperor, broad-bodied and four-spotted chasers, common darter and brown hawker are in abundance across the reserve. Regular surveying from reserves officers & volunteers also indicates good populations of butterfly species including the Essex skipper, gatekeeper, meadow brown, holly blue, white letter hairstreak, ringlet and painted lady.  

Loosely translated into English, Glascoed means ‘fresh’/’green’ woods, and in contrast to the surrounding industrial area, you can really see why this lush, green reserve has become a haven for wildlife. The site is also dotted with a handful of ponds which are teeming with invertebrates like water stick insect, water scorpion, beautiful demoiselles, caddisfly larvae and water beetles. The nature reserve is also home to the increasingly rare black poplar tree.  

Nature is all the time more under threat in the UK, and sites such as this are unfortunately becoming more scarce despite how absolutely vital they are in the face of ecosystem depletion. Ponds in particular have seen huge losses. Since 1900 we have lost more than half of our ponds in Britain, and continued loss such as this not only damages nature but also threatens our ability to adapt to climate extremes such as flooding and drought. This is why it is so important, now more than ever, to continue to restore these wild spaces.  

Why are we crowdfunding? 

Whilst our reserves offer so much potential for wildlife, at Glascoed nature reserve, two of the ponds are currently struggling to hold water. Most years they fully dry out over the summer, and they suffer badly from algal bloom, which happens when algae accumulates rapidly and blocks light from entering the pond. As well as impacting wildlife within the ponds, this also makes it incredibly difficult to survey the water for species such as great crested newts, which rely on open water for their breeding. With your help, donations could enable us to restore these ponds. 

Restoration such as this is one of the simplest, most effective steps we can take in supporting biodiversity in the UK, but we need your help to install these practical changes which will bring numerous benefits to nature.  

Many of our nature reserves were taken on as mitigation sites. We receive no repeated annual funding for our core work, and the generosity of grant funders - and people like you - supports us in ensuring that nature can have enough space to thrive in Wales. Our charity began as a group of concerned local residents taking action to protect their local wildlife in the face of building developments – we are now hoping that people power can help to create positive action, yet again, for the sake of nature in the face of the climate crisis.   

How we’ll spend the money raised 

Your money will be a much-needed life-line for the wildlife of Glascoed.  

If we manage to raise…  

£1,000: We can carry out pond habitat improvements such as scrub and vegetation management to open up more clear areas. 

£2,000: We can carry out pond habitat improvements such as scrub and vegetation management as well as fencing to protect from livestock. 

£5,000: We can fulfil a partial pond restoration, which will enable us to complete a partial relining of one dry pond, and carry out scrub and vegetation management. 

£10,000: Pond fully restored! Newly relined, scrub and vegetation management, as well as fencing to protect from livestock during grazing season! 

Every penny of your donation will count and we are immensely grateful for the support of fellow nature-lovers and climate defenders!  

If we are lucky enough… 

Our stretch target of £20,000… will enable both of the dry ponds to be fully restored!  

How you can help 

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project: 

1. Make a donation 

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too. 

2. Spread the word 

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed. 

3. Volunteer with us  

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please visit our volunteering page to find out more.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 24th August 2026 at 12:59pm