The council came in and chopped down the overgrown vegetation. With the vegetation removed it was time for our volunteer work force to get clearing it out to allow for the redevelopment to begin.
A digger was hired to come in and dig out the old pond and landscape the whole area.
Hardcore was brought in from the Barrett Homes construction site at Russell Lane to provide a base for the wildflower meadow. Horse manure was also mixed in with the soil to improve its fertility.
A group of Year 11 students worked together as a team to shape the sides of the pond and lay the liner.
Caple Manor college helped to build a dipping platform in paternership with the Southgate students and the college Countryside Managment Course.
Plants were introduced to the pond in June 2006. Ducks were regular visitors to the area and it is hoped that in the future they would become more resident and begin to breed. Much of the pond life just appeared, we think they were bought in with the plants and on the ducks feet!
