Natural succession can slowly fill ponds with vegetation and willow and to maintain biodiversity ponds have to be managed. Sheep dip pond has had water vole records for the last couple of years but has slowly been over taken by willow. After a dry summer with little rain, there were no water voles as the water left the pond. This was an opportunity to tackle the willow, remove it and to open up the pond for other vegetation to exploit the increased light levels.
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