The Pond Group have been very active and cleaned huge amounts of rubbish from the lakes and worked with Thames 21 to remove large items, such as a supermarket trolley, along with debris and wire mesh.
The group feed and monitor the health of the wildfowl daily, rescuing injured wildfowl and birds and caring for them where possible. The group have worked hard to raise awareness with the public, providing information and advice on issues such as water quality, what food is suitable for the wildfowl, dogs and the safety of wildfowl and ducklings and the importance of avoiding littering.
The highlight of the year was the presence of a new pair of swans, Julia and Caesar, who nested on the lower lake and raised the first cygnets in Broomfield Park in living memory. The group encouraged the new swans to stay and nest and worked with park staff and young volunteers to create a safe shielded and ramped refuge area and for the swans and the cygnets.
The group also installed a duck house on the top lake, which we hope will provide a safe place for ducklings away from the gulls. We have also placed barley booms in the lakes to improve water quality.
In the autumn a volunteer group, with Thames 21, worked to clear reeds and waste from the inlets and outlets of the Wetland. over the summer five members of FoBP have trained with Thames 21 to take over leadership roles in water cleaning and reed management events within the park. we are very grateful for the very generous donation of waders, protective equipment and tools, made by Thames 21 to continue these tasks.
