Cleanup at Crabtree

Crabtree Ponds is one of nine urban wildlife reserves in Sheffield and is currently undergoing a facelift. Site improvements will be completed by February 2006.

Annabelle Kennedy, Reserves Manager, said a large percentage of the residents surveyed around Crabtree Ponds thought it was messy and unattractive. Crabtree Ponds were also getting silted up, which is a problem for the wildlife living in them. She says:

“Because this is an urban site and it’s important to local people, we’ve decided to invest in improving it. Crabtree Ponds were last dredged in 1970, so we’re going to dredge out the silt and build some beds for planting.”

Onyx Environmental Trust and Living Spaces have both invested £25,000 in the project, and further funding has been raised by the Reserve Advisory Group, Heritage Lottery Fund, the Marjorie Coote Animal Charities Trust, Sheffield Town Trust and the JG Graves Trust.

The money will be spent on building and planting that encourage wildlife to thrive. “We’ll be increasing the area of wetland plants, where newts, dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs.” Plants will include yellow flag irises, bullrushes, reed sweetgrass, Norfolk reed and some floating aquatics.

“We’re doing the project in winter as most of the animals will be out of the water. The newts and frogs will be in log-piles around the pond, for example.” The builders will only be working from one area, so they won’t disturb this undergrowth.

Work has already begun on ‘The Sink’, the smallest of Crabtree’s ponds, which is being dredged. This will be where the ducks and other wildlife can live during the project. The fish, which are mostly sticklebacks, will be temporarily removed and then reintroduced at the end of the project.

To get involved at Crabtree Ponds contact Annabelle on 263 4335. She is also looking for people who have stories about the pond and how it has changed or old photos of it.

by Jennifer McKiernan