Great Crested Newt Population Monitoring

A few years prior to the recent works carried out in April 2022, EMEC Ecology constructed mitigation ponds and translocated a population of great crested newts to the newly constructed ponds under licence from Natural England.

EMEC Ecology monitors the ponds yearly under the conditions of the licence to assess their suitability and progress. The ponds are surveyed using a variety of great crested newt survey techniques including the use of bottle traps and high powered torches after dark. As the ponds are lined, the canes used to hold the bottle traps have a brick on one end. This brick allows the canes to stand upright without having to puncture the pond lining and insert the cane into the substrate.

Each year of monitoring has been a success and the ponds continue to be used by a range of amphibians for breeding purposes. This year (2022), EMEC Ecology found the ponds were being utilized by great crested newts, smooth newts, common frogs, and common toads. The pond and surrounding meadow habitats are also used by other faunal species such as rabbits, ducks and butterflies.

Surrounding the ponds are a number of log piles that were found to be utilized by amphibians for sheltering purposes. There are also a number of benches acting as a seating area for members of staff to have their lunch and enjoy the scenery and the benefits that the ponds and associated wildlife provide.

A spokesperson from Boots said “After sharing the results of the great crested newt monitoring surveys, the environmental sustainability team on site requested a full ecology report for the whole site. The site has a large plot and the team were keen to see if there were any other suggestions that can be put into place to support the wildlife around them.”