Wildlife protection work for the winter season in Ipswich has begun with intensive duckweed prevention measures on the ponds throughout Holywells Park to help enhance and maintain natural habitats and ecosystems.
In addition to ongoing work throughout spring, summer, and autumn every year to tackle duckweed growth in ponds across the borough, the winter season provides greater success in the permanent removal of duckweed due to the colder weather conditions, Ipswich Borough Council said.
Winter works using a range of specialist techniques have initially focused upon vegetation removal around pond edges, use of a weed boom to scrape away duckweed, and manual silt and reed removal resulting in improved flow between two pond sites, with recent high winds also helping to reduce regrowth.
Reduced levels of duckweed growth help to prevent ongoing damage to ecosystems such as oxygen depletion, lack of sunlight, and deteriorating habitats for fish and other aquatic life, while at the same time improving the overall appearance of treated pond areas.
Further work will be ongoing on other water bodies across Holywells Park over the course of the winter months.
The borough council said this will tackle duckweed, overhanging vegetation and to remove underwater hazards, which limit safe working on ponds.
Councillor Lucy Trenchard, portfolio holder for parks and climate change, highlighted the importance of the work being carried out.
She said: “It is of vital importance that local wildlife is not endangered within their natural environments.
"Initial treatments carried out across various ponds within Holywells Park to remove duckweed have already resulted in significant improvements.
"The council is investing in breakthrough methods and further treatments are being coordinated to ensure that duckweed growth is kept under control in the long term so that local wildlife can flourish, and the appearance of local ponds is improved.”
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