Pond dipping is fun, simple and doesn’t cost much. It's no surprise that it’s a popular outdoor learning activity for children, adults and an important conservation surveying method. Our guide will help you explore responsibly.
For many of us, especially those who live in towns or cities, one of our earliest encounters with wildlife was discovering the fascinating creatures that live in and around a pond.
Pond dipping is fun, simple and doesn’t cost much, so it’s no surprise that it’s a popular outdoor learning activity for children at school and at home. And for adults feeling out of touch with nature, it’s an ideal way to reconnect. It’s also a conservation surveying method to help us monitor the biodiversity of a pond. To help you organise your pond dipping session, we've put together a guide that covers what you need to know.
You can find most of the equipment you need for pond dipping around the house or it can be made simply or cheaply.
The basic kit:
As with any activity in nature, it’s important to make sure you look out for the safety of the wildlife, and the pond dippers themselves. The following tips will help you pond dip responsibly and teach children the value of conserving the natural environment.
Before you start
Approach the pond slowly and quietly. Tiny vibrations can be picked up by the pond’s wildlife even before your net touches the water. Before you dip, look closely at the surface. Can you see pond skaters, whirligig beetles or water measurers?
Look out for fish or amphibians close to the surface. Fill your white tray with water from the pond, ready to receive your netted catch.
Start dipping
The first sweeps of the net should be made in the open water with the whole of the net bag beneath the surface.
Push the net bag through the water making a figure of eight. Invertebrates live at different depths so make sure you sweep at the surface, middle and towards the bottom of the pond, making sure you don’t churn up the bottom mud. Quickly lift the net out.
Move away from the edge of the pond and immediately turn the contents inside out into your white tray half filled with water. Wash the net bag in the water tray and look closely. You might not be able to see anything straightaway. But as you look more closely, you’ll soon be able to see the mini-beasts darting around.
Repeat the process, observe and record
Record what you’ve found and dip again, this time closer to the bank and through the submerged plants. Sweeping through the submerged stems of emergents can be rewarding, but take care not to uproot the plants.
Any animals you want to examine further should be transferred carefully to another tray, making sure they have enough water and are not in direct sunlight.
Search the bottom mud
Before searching the bottom mud for creatures, return any creatures you’ve already collected to the pond.
Fill your white tray with water from the pond again. Scoop up a sample of mud from the bottom. Wash away the mud and silt and examine what you’ve caught. Which are the predators, prey and producers? Try sweeping in various places around the pond.
If you’re a teacher interested in pond dipping or other outdoor learning activities, WWT’s Learning Zone has more ideas and information to get you started.
We've also created a helpful guide to some of the beautiful beasties you might find down there!
At some of our centres, we manage dipping ponds to create the perfect habitat for pond life. Whilst we can’t allow people to use their own equipment (in order to prevent the spread of invasive species), many centres run family pond dipping sessions at weekends and during school holidays, although due to COVID-19 this has had to be paused. At these sessions, all equipment is provided and our friendly staff will be on hand to guide you through the process and help you identify the creatures you find.
For more helpful hints and tips on things to do in wetlands, interesting insights into wildlife and the latest news on our conservation work, sign up to our monthly enews.
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