This week at our pond:
Much is changing at the pond and I am struggling to keep up! Autumn is well and truly here, with the leaves falling off the trees, the water level rising considerably and the return of the many, many seagulls. This could have potentially been the best season for pond study, due to the huge changes that naturally occur in wildlife around this time. However, whilst I am very interested to see what is going on with the ‘works’, we were all very disappointed by the lack of bird life actually in the pond. It seems they have all upped and left, which will be a huge loss to the children. We saw seagulls (see picture above) and two Moorhens. And that was it. No other sign of any of our old friends at all:
As I mentioned before the water level was very high. Here is a picture of it just a few weeks ago:
And now:
It is heading towards its spring level (week 7):
Elsewhere you can see the effects of the ‘works’ all around, notwithstanding the lack of wildlife:
We haven’t managed to visit the pond when any of the workers have been there. When/if we do, we will make sure we obtain answers to our many questions!
News on the conservation front. My email to the council was answered swiftly and we were invited to take part in their conservation work day this Sunday. Because it fell on a Sunday we were unable to go (it is probably our busiest day of the week!), however we are hopeful we will be able to attend others. In addition, we were asked to provide details about the wildlife to the council, who would use them to create a pond visitor information board. Who would have thought we would have had the opportunity to be part of the history of the pond, all those weeks ago when we first started the study?
Wow. Your pond study has become “real, meaningful work” (in the sense Lori Pickert would put it in Project-Based Homeschooling). That is just so inspiring!
It’s kind of cool to be asked. I think I should ask them to put the children’s names in somewhere!!
The fence in the pond is quite pretty, though. It is interesting to see what they do. I wonder if you could talk to them sometime and ask them why they are doing what they are doing.
We will. Each time we go down they seem to have packed up for the day!
Hopefully, the changes will benefit the pond and its wildlife, but it is sad to see it in such a state. It is exciting to think of how a little study has turned into such a great opportunity for the children. Who knows what will be come of it?! Thanks for the update.
Hope your week is off to a great start.
Yes, we miss our birds already!
So cool that your study will be helpful to all those who will visit the pond in the future!
I know! Who would have thought?