Alastair hosts this special, listener-suggested episode by introducing the topic of lost ponds: how to find them and why they matter. Darren Tansley of the Essex Wildlife Trust then joins Alastair to discuss the project to map and restore these lost ponds across the UK. They cover the surprising scale of habitat loss, the methodology used by citizen scientists relying on historical and modern maps, and the ecological importance of ponds for species like the Turtle Dove and beneficial insects. The discussion also reflects on the essential work with farm clusters, the role of geospatial data in local nature strategy, and the potential economic benefits that pond restoration could bring to modern agriculture.
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