During the summer holidays, master developer Urban&Civic teamed up with The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (BCN) to help local families discover the hidden world beneath the surface of Waterbeach lake.
Around 40 children took part in pond dipping sessions, discovering some of the fascinating creatures living beneath the surface and in the aquatic plants of Waterbeach lake.
The Wildlife Trust experts shared their knowledge and enthusiasm, helping budding conservationists identify their finds and examine them under a microscope before safely returning them to the lake.
Alison Chaves, Communities and Education Manager (Great Fen) for The Wildlife Trust (BCN), said: “We had a fantastic day. The joy and excitement as children discovered the incredible variety of creatures living in the lake was wonderful to see. They really enjoyed finding different species and looking at them under the microscope, especially the cased caddisfly larvae, which are such unusual creatures!
“It was also lovely to see the intergenerational excitement between families when pond dipping together, and finding a water scorpion was a personal highlight, especially as we don’t see them on our reserve!”
Waterbeach lake is home to a rich variety of wildlife and visitors can listen out for green woodpeckers calling from nearby trees, catch a flash of turquoise from kingfishers speeding past, watch emperor dragonflies soaring through the reeds and spot water boatmen skimming just beneath the surface.
Caroline Ward, Community Development Lead for Waterbeach, said: “The lake supports an incredible diversity of wildlife, from species living beneath the water to those found along the shoreline and on the islands. Every visit offers the opportunity to discover something new.
“Events like the pond dipping sessions are a great way for families to get closer to nature, learn more about the amazing habitats on their doorstep and inspire the next generation to care for the natural world.”
To find out more about the lake and other important habitats at Waterbeach, visit waterbeachwb.co.uk/ecology.
The joy and excitement as children discovered the incredible variety of creatures living in the lake was wonderful to see.
