Today Vane once again welcomed the Edinburgh Members Group for a session of (fun) manual labour as we set about improving the area previously known as 'the wee pond beside Little Vane'. The group, along with local volunteer David, began by removing the debris in and around the pond in a bid to create a more welcoming and useful area and open up the overgrown site. The plan was to clear the pond and its surroundings to allow a path to be constructed around the edge, including 2 sections of boardwalk allowing easier access for pond dipping and other activities.
The transformation is huge, it's not quite finished yet, but it's great what a group can achieve in a day. The chilly weather meant we had to break through the ice on the pond to clear it, but it was a good incentive to keep moving so we didn't cool down too much. The path still needs a bit of work and 2 planks are required to complete the boardwalk, but it's a great start and it'll be much easier to keep it maintained now the bulk of the work is done. The robins certainly enjoyed our activities, keeping a close eye on the disturbed soil as we worked.
A few of the ponds inhabitants were discovered during the works (not all living unfortunately), so it was decided that, rather than the previous lengthy name, it should be renamed 'Frog's End Pond'. Hopefully it'll entice in a few more amphibians with it's new look and in the coming months it'll be a great spot to keep an eye out for dragonflies and damselflies.
The local group and David relaxing and doing a little pond gazing before heading home.