The Norfolk Ponds Project (NPP) was formed in 2014, with the aim of promoting the conservation of Norfolk ponds, especially in farmland.

The Norfolk Ponds Project aims to reverse the decline of Norfolk’s ponds so that agricultural landscapes contain a mosaic of clean water ponds with fewer ponds overgrown by trees and bushes. It will seek to achieve this by:

• Providing advice to landowners on how best to restore and manage ponds in farmland
• Establishing a fund that can be used to support practical pond restoration and the re-excavation of Ghost Ponds lost to agricultural land reclamation
• Promoting the creation of new ponds, especially in river valley floodplains, where much stillwater habitat has been lost in the last century due to drainage schemes
• Integrating ponds into other aquatic conservation projects in Norfolk, especially in rivers, fens and coastal areas
• Promoting the conservation of key pond species, such as great crested newt, crucian carp, water vole and plants such as stoneworts and pondweeds
• Educating the public and farmers on the value of ponds in farmland through site visits and open days
• Establishing community pond restoration projects that re-connect landowners and people with Norfolk’s ponds