Grey squirrel

Water - useful links and resources

Want to learn more about ponds and lakes and the diverse variety of wildlife they support? The following organisations and resources are great places to further your interest.

Top ten tips for a healthy pond (PDF, 32KB) - produced by OPAL and Buglife

Water survey partners

Pond Conservation -  www.pondconservation.org.uk
Buglife: The Invertebrate Conservation Trust - www.buglife.org.uk
British Dragonfly Society - www.dragonflysoc.org.uk
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation - www.arc-trust.org
Botanical Society of the British Isles - www.bsbi.org.uk

Discover freshwaters

The Freshwater Biological Association - www.fba.org.uk
Plantlife - www.plantlife.org.uk
The Riverfly Partnership - www.riverflies.org
Invertebrates and wildlife recording: National Biodiversity Network - www.nbn.org.uk
Royal Entomological Society - www.royalensoc.co.uk
Amateur Entomologist’s Society - www.amentsoc.org
British Entomological and Natural History Society - www.benhs.org.uk
Anglers’ Monitoring Initiative - www.riverflies.org/index/riverfly_monit.htm
Download or order a pond life wallchart from the British Ecological Society website

Identification resources

OPAL iSpot: share wildlife photos and get help with identification - www.ispot.org.uk
Natural History Museum identification forums - www.nhm.ac.uk/natureplus/community/identification
Freshwater Life’s identification guides - www.freshwaterlife.org/id_home.jsp
British Dragonfly Society species guide - www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/species.htm
Conchological Society guide to snails - www.conchsoc.org/aids_to_id/help-id.php
Virtual pond dip and introduction to microscopic aquatic creatures - Microscopy UK virtual pond dip

Invasive aquatic plants

Defra’s ‘Be Plant Wise’ campaign - www.beplantwise.direct.gov.uk/index.htm.
Plantlife - www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/plantlife-campaigning-change-invasive-plants.html.

Conservation and protected species

UK Biodiversity Action Plan - www.ukbap.org.uk.
UK list of priority species and habitats - www.ukbap.org.uk/NewPriorityList.aspx.

Tomorrow's Water competition

Are you a student aged between 15 and 20? Can you help solve the water issues of the future?

Win your chance to compete against the world in Sweden by entering the CIWEM Tomorrow's Water competition.

World Water Monitoring Day

Join in a global survey of water quality and help improve our water resources.

World Water Monitoring Day is an international education and outreach programme that gets people involved in protecting water resources around the world.

Order a water testing kit online and take part today - www.worldwatermonitoringday.org

 

Improve your garden pond

Learn more about pond wildlife and the best ways to support it.

 

 

Water activity sheets

Visit the OPAL Kids Zone for puzzles, games and amazing facts.