Restoring the hidden waters of the Mendip Hills

The opportunity

Beneath the Mendip Hills National Landscape, rainwater disappears into caves, fissures and hidden rivers. Above ground, ponds become precious pockets of life; rare refuges for wildlife in a landscape where standing water is surprisingly scarce. By restoring these forgotten waters, we can reconnect habitats, revive declining species and create a thriving network of freshwater habitats across one of England's most distinctive National Landscapes. 

The opportunity is especially significant because the Mendip Hills already hold one of the UK's most ambitious pond conservation success stories. The Mendip Ponds Project identified a network of ponds supporting populations of the protected great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and demonstrated how restoring neglected ponds can reconnect fragmented wildlife populations across the landscape. Surveys found many ponds in poor condition, with restoration offering the chance to rebuild functioning habitat networks rather than isolated wildlife sites. Your support will build on this strong foundation.

The science

The science behind pond restoration is remarkably compelling. Research by Freshwater Habitats Trust shows that ponds support more biodiversity at landscape scale than rivers or lakes, despite their small size. Two-thirds of freshwater species can be found in ponds, yet around half of UK ponds were lost during the twentieth century and many of those that remain are in poor condition.

In the Mendip Hills, where every pond is especially valuable, restoring these habitats delivers outsized benefits for nature recovery.

The project

This project would build on more than a decade of successful conservation work to restore, enhance and expand the network of ponds across the Mendip Hills National Landscape.

Funding would support a programme of practical restoration, including removing accumulated silt, repairing pond basins, restoring traditional stone-lined pond features where appropriate, managing scrub encroachment, improving surrounding habitat and creating new ponds where they can strengthen ecological connectivity. Existing evidence suggests many ponds within the network require intervention to return them to full ecological function.

The project would focus on creating resilient clusters of ponds rather than isolated sites. This network approach is particularly important for species such as great crested newts, which rely on multiple breeding ponds and connected terrestrial habitats across the landscape.

A funded programme could begin with priority restoration sites before expanding into a larger landscape-scale initiative linking habitats across the National Landscape. Over time, the project could create one of the most significant pond restoration networks in southern England, generating a replicable model for other limestone landscapes facing similar challenges.

Alongside practical delivery, the project would establish long-term ecological monitoring, enabling partners and funders to track biodiversity gains and demonstrate measurable impact.

Why this matters

Freshwater habitats are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Recent global assessments indicate that nearly a quarter of assessed freshwater species face a high risk of extinction.

Yet ponds remain one of the most effective and affordable tools available for reversing freshwater biodiversity loss. Evidence shows that creating and restoring clean-water ponds can rapidly support declining species and strengthen ecological resilience across entire landscapes.

The timing is particularly important on Mendip.

The landscape is already recognised nationally for its ecological importance. In 2023, Natural England declared the Mendip National Nature Reserve, bringing together more than 1,400 hectares of priority habitat in a landscape-scale approach to nature recovery.

Restored ponds would help connect many of these habitats, creating wildlife corridors that allow species to move, adapt and thrive in a changing climate.

For businesses seeking meaningful environmental investment, pond restoration offers something increasingly rare: visible, measurable outcomes that benefit biodiversity, water resilience, landscape connectivity and community engagement simultaneously.

Social value

The project offers significant opportunities to connect people with nature while building practical conservation skills.

Volunteer programmes could involve local communities, schools and corporate teams in habitat management, species monitoring and citizen science. Participants would gain hands-on experience in ecological restoration while contributing directly to landscape recovery.

The work also creates opportunities to revive traditional countryside skills, including stonework, pond management and habitat surveying, helping to pass specialist knowledge to the next generation.

Partnerships with colleges, universities and environmental organisations could support internships, apprenticeships and work placements focused on ecology, conservation management and environmental monitoring.

For corporate partners, the project provides meaningful opportunities for employee engagement through volunteer days, site visits and participation in long-term monitoring programmes that demonstrate tangible environmental impact.

Key outputs

The project would track and report against measurable outcomes, including:

• Number of ponds restored, enhanced or created.
• Hectares of pond and associated habitat brought into favourable condition.
• Increase in occupancy and breeding success of great crested newts and other priority amphibians.
• Species richness recorded across restored pond networks.
• Number of volunteers, apprentices, interns and community participants engaged.
• Kilometres of ecological connectivity strengthened through linked pond clusters and surrounding habitat improvements.

Environmental gains

• Restoration of a rare and highly valuable freshwater habitat network.
• Improved habitat connectivity across the Mendip Hills National Landscape.
• Increased populations of amphibians, aquatic invertebrates and freshwater plants.
• Enhanced resilience of wildlife populations to climate change.
• Improved ecosystem health across one of England's most important protected landscapes.

Social and economic outcomes

• New opportunities for environmental skills development.
• Community engagement through volunteering and citizen science.
• Stronger connections between people and place.
• Enhanced visitor experiences and interpretation opportunities.
• High-quality, measurable ESG and nature-positive outcomes for corporate partners.