Making space for great crested newts

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust is helping to create ponds across the region, Rachel Davies dives deep into her new job as our ponds officer.

The great crested newt populations in the UK are important internationally and many of our ponds are home to these amazing creatures. However, this species has been in decline in the UK over the past 60 years - despite its legal protection and millions of pounds being spent on licences each year.

Now, The Natural England District Level Licensing (DLL) scheme hopes to address this by creating more habitat for the species in key areas. The scheme generates millions of pounds each year and 85 per cent of this goes to habitat creation, restoration, surveying and maintenance.

In 2022, we tested 77 ponds for eDNA and 12 of these showed positive for great crested newts. In spring 2023, we tested these 77 ponds once again, plus an additional 13 ponds that had reached the correct time point for testing. We are eagerly awaiting the results from this year - which should be available in July or August.

The Freshwater Habitats Trust states that 50 per cent of UK ponds were lost in the 20th century, and the majority that remain are in poor condition. As ponds can support two thirds of all freshwater species, including invertebrates, amphibians and plants, the loss of this habitat can have a significant impact.

Since 2019, your Wildlife Trust has been acting as the habitat delivery body responsible for creating and restoring ponds across Lancashire through the DLL scheme. Between 2019 and April 2023, 86 ponds have been created and 29 restored through this scheme.

Once our ponds have been in the ground for a year, we survey them to check if great crested newts are utilising the ones we have created or restored. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a great method for doing this.

Although the DLL scheme focuses on great crested newts, the creation and restoration of so many ponds will have a much larger impact on many of the species that call ponds their home.

If you are interested in supporting a pond on your land, they can be created and restored on public as well as privately-owned land, as long the land falls into a qualifying area, known as a Strategic Opportunity Area.

Ponds in qualifying areas can be restored if they are completely dry and/or silted up. Ponds still capable of supporting a newt lifecycle will not be eligible for restoration.

If you are interested in being involved in the scheme and would like to discuss a pond, please get in touch with Rachel at rdavies@lancswt.org.uk

What have you spotted in your pond? Send your pictures to @LancsWildlife

What happens to great crested newts during summer?

The breeding season takes place between March to June, with April and May being the key months. During this time, a pregnant female will lay approximately 200 eggs, each of which she wraps individually in the leaves of aquatic vegetation.

In July, adult newts leave the pond and return to a terrestrial lifestyle, living in the habitats surrounding the pond- favouring rough grassland, scrub, and broad-leaved woodland.

The eggs laid during breeding season hatch within two to four weeks of being laid, so by summer most larvae will have already grown their front and back legs. They spend the first few weeks of summer continuing to feed in the pond, and when they have fully absorbed their gills, they leave the pond and begin lively on land. This usually happens in August.

Ponds support two thirds of all freshwater species found in the UK. One group of freshwater insects currently utilising our DLL ponds are dragonflies and damselflies.

Here’s the species we have spotted so far this year:

 Large red damselfly

 Azure damselfly

 Blue-tailed damselfly

 Common blue damselfly

 Broad-bodied chaser

 Four-spotted chaser

 Banded demoiselle