Jeremy Biggs
jeremybiggs.bsky.social
Jeremy Biggs
@jeremybiggs.bsky.social
160 followers 55 following 92 posts
CEO at Freshwater Habitats Trust and a Director of the Newt Conservation Partnership; co-author of Ponds, Pools and Puddles: https://www.harperreach.com/products/ponds-pools-and-puddles-collins-new-naturalist-library-jeremy-biggspenny-williams-978000870300
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
The pond in the pic above is right next to a very small quarry dug in that limestone, with a second, groundwater-fed, pond. That pond, in the pic below, is one of the two Oxfordshire Haliplus furcatus sites - so a very odd place! BTW Its all hooching with nitrogen.
Just echoing your point Martin - a very shallow pond with Agabus uliginosus in Oxfordshire on the edge of free draining arable desert on limestone. You'll probably recognise the recorder I was out with on a very wet January day a couple of years ago.
Hi Martin - what's the place on the right? 'Man-made' or a natural origin hole in the ground? As you'll be aware we (FHT) have long felt that the origin of hole is not the be-all and end-all, though obviously important for old fens😊
Nice - wonderful pingos!
Last one - I promise! I'm curious how people were able to tell when meadows were last reseeded. I would have assumed that was a pretty difficult thing to find out. But definitely nice to know.
Good year because of the drought?
Thats a bit crazy - I didn't know that this was in UK. Last saw it (quite a while ago) in south of France Mediterranean temporary pond!
Interesting! Roughly where is this Alex?
A new shallow pond scraped into dull arable - first year it produces Jersey Cudweed Gnaphalium luteoalbum, Grass-poly Lythrum hyssopifolia and Cavernous Crystalwort Riccia cavernosa! Interesting dynamism in landscapes never fails to deliver #NorfolkFloraGroup #wildflowerhour
Is it what we call Castor Hanglands Main Pond? i.e. the one with very long invert list which by some margin is the richest in the National Pond Survey - see p125 in the New Naturalist - I deliberately wrote out the list so people could see what a really long pond list looks like!
Hi Sarah - what's the Pond Leg at Castor Hanglands? BTW We've been helping Stewart with PR a bit re the developments. Nice to hear about the Small bur-reed.
I'd love to take you up on that! But probably not this summer as pretty packed schedule! But I'll be back in touch.
Reposted by Jeremy Biggs
This pond on industrial site was full of well-grown Crested Newt tadpoles. Always struck by what big, chunky, bull-necked creatures they are compared to little wizened metamorphs they become after leaving the water. One benefit of these brownfield ponds is no dog access=no insecticide contamination.
Reposted by Jeremy Biggs
Water pH is highly dynamic so to say a pond or small lake "has a pH of X" is misleading. At the moment I'm getting a lot of unexpectedly high readings. This is due to intense photosynthesis in strong sunshine - plants (macrophytes or algae) use up dissolved CO2 (H2CO3), reducing acidity/raising pH.
Ahhh....that explains it. I've heard about the site but never visited. I've added it to my list of great places to visit! Thanks Jim.
Hi Jim - saw your post via @astridbiddle.bsky.social - these look like a lovely spots. Where are you in the country roughly? With best wishes - Jeremy
Looks lovely! It would almost be a priority pond (freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/our-work/con...) if it was a little bit smaller 😂😂 - on the OS it looks about 2.5 ha, though I know the OS isn't always a good guide to size. Maybe we should stretch a point slightly!
Priority ponds - Freshwater Habitats Trust
A priority pond is a habitat of principal concern. Identifying priority ponds helps us protect ponds and the wildlife they support.
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk
Reposted by Jeremy Biggs
Big conversations about small catchments 💡

Yesterday's Headstart event brought together leading figures from the water and environmental sectors to move forward on a strategy to clean up Britain’s water systems – by starting at the top.

Find out more: freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/headsta...
Reposted by Jeremy Biggs
Along with CEO's from 31 other conservation organisations, our CEO Professor Jeremy Biggs signed this letter to express our concerns over the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, including the risk it poses to irreplaceable habitats ⤵️
The Planning Bill is not the win-win for nature & building we were promised 🚨

If the Bill proceeds unchanged, it will break new ground in the destruction of nature across England 🥀

Our full letter to Steve Reed and Matthew Pennycook 👇
www.wcl.org.uk/docs/2025/20...