Its Pondemonium this Sussex Day!
Sussex Day is June 16 and we are celebrating Sussex's smaller wildlife at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre with our Pondemonium event.
We focus on watery species from insects to amphibians. The days activities include pond dipping sessions for children and for adults too! Our Wetland Buskers will roam the reserve and we have special talks on the UK Toad Patrol and Invasive Water Plants.
The highlight of the day is a walk to our new Ephemeral pools habitat with our Reserve Manager Paul Stevens. This habitat we manage was created with a grant of £60,000 from Viridor Credits Environmental Company, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund. The grant to created a series of new wetland pools, wildflower-rich grassland, and chalk banks and helped restore ditches around the reserve. This work has support many wetland animals and plants – the rare grizzled skipper butterfly, dragon and damselflies, grass snakes, amphibians such as the Common Toad.
At the Wetlands In My Backyard Display in the visitor centre you can enter to win a Lifepond - perfect for smaller gardens or patios, no digging required!
A schedule of activities includes:
- Regular Pond Dipping at Pond explorer – Learning Team at Pond Explorer
- Adult Pond Dipping & Biotic Index water Testing – Learning Team at Raised Pond
- Wetland Busking (water surface pollution) – Learning Team around the site
- WIMBY display and contest to win a Lifepond: https://www.wwt.org.uk/shop/shop/lifepond-wildlife-pond/lifepond-wildlife-pond/ in Visitor Centre
- UK Toad Patrol Display and talk - Visitor Centre and Sandpiper Theatre (PS)
- Invasive Species display and talk - Visitor Centre and Sandpiper Theatre (ARC EP)
- Emphemeral Pools tour – at Black Rabbit Triangle with Paul Stevens
