Podcast Episode 33: Therapeutic benefits of ponds

Hi everyone, my name is Will, welcome to my podcast. Today I'll be talking about the importance freshwater ecosystems have on our planet and on our society, and mainly the therapeutic effects that running water has on the mind. So I'm a pond designer and builder based in Suffolk and I specialise in building natural ecosystem ponds out of natural rock and pebbles with an emphasis on the specific ecology of enabling a pond to thrive. So lots of different components that go into that. The rocks and gravel enable the aesthetic look to be achieved but also it enables wildlife to have little homes to live in and it protects the actual lining of the pond from anything that's inside the pond that gets in there, for example otters. I've heard they can rip a liner and cause leaks so that's another benefit. So I started building ponds only a few years ago and I soon realized I was playing a vital role in recreating the lost ecosystems that we've been seeing. The UK has seen a reduction in freshwater habitats of over 75% during the 20th century. That equates to a staggering 600,000 ponds disappearing within only a few generations. That's quite alarming actually. So my mission is to bring back those thriving ecosystems and benefits to the surrounding wildlife that they once brought. Ponds are an essential source of food, water and breeding grounds for many species. This includes the humble hedgehog and many different songbirds and insects too. You'll find if you have a pond in your garden you'll notice lots of wildlife is attracted to that water source because it is absolutely essential for them to live, especially with the urbanization of the planet and the extension of farmland, a lot of animals are losing their ability to actually survive. They're losing their water sources, their food sources, etc. So if you couple this with the therapeutic effect of ponds and the effect that they have on the human mind you have a recipe for success on many fronts. So over the past few years I have come to realise how much of an effect ponds have on people. The benefits of hearing running water and seeing fish gliding through the water calms and rejuvenates the mind. I know this from experience because I have my own pond at home. I look forward to coming home after a long day at work to sit beside my pond listening to the trickling water and feeding my fish. I've even named them all so that's how you know you really love your your ponds. I soon noticed that the stresses of the day just melt away especially in the summertime when the days are long and I can spend hours watching all the wildlife go about their business. It's not only fish that you have in a pond, you have newts, you have frogs, you have water boatmen and all sorts of little water daphnia which just buzz about under the water and they're very interesting to watch, especially in the summertime when the days are long. It has a massive impact on the amount of time I spend on my phone. I've noticed this personally too. The average amount of time the present day teenager spends on their phone comes to around 7 hours a day. This is fuelling the current mental health crisis and studies have shown people who spend excessive amounts of time on their phones, especially on social media, increase their risk of feeling isolated, lonely and even eventually developing anxiety and depression. If only everyone were able to experience what it's like to walking into your very own little oasis at home. No need to go on expensive holidays travelling thousands of miles away when you have a tranquil garden space at your fingertips. Even if you've had a terrible day, somehow hearing any form of running water just relaxes you and brightens your day. It doesn't even have to be a pond. There can be waterfalls and other little babbling brooks that have the exact same effect as a pond has. And it also brings songbirds in to bathe in the slow-moving water. And they absolutely love doing that. I've seen that lots of times. Unfortunately, a lot of people my age are still searching for meaning in their lives which is a real problem we have in our society. I'm so lucky to have found something I'm passionate about and something that I get great fulfilment from doing. I now know that my goal in life is to realise people's dreams and create water features for them whilst also creating thriving homes for wildlife that desperately need them. In In this day and age where life is really fast paced, I like to think that slowing things down and enjoying the little things make a huge difference to a person. The more time we spend in and around nature, the more connected we feel to where we came from and that brings a clearer insight of where we should be going in our lives. So I hope you've enjoyed listening. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you all and stay safe everyone.