KSCP’s pond creation/restoration scheme is part of a wider Natural England-led District Level Licensing scheme for Great Crested Newts, and involves other Kent Countryside Partnerships.

So far, the Kent Countryside Partnerships have created or restored 96 ponds in Kent under this remit. eDNA surveys were conducted on 76 ponds in Kent for the first time (on those ponds that were created or restored by 30 November 2019). They collected water samples, and these were analysed by CellMark for GCN DNA.

In Kent, 40% of ponds had been colonised by Great Crested Newts after one year, an early but very encouraging indication that this iconic species is finding and using their new homes!

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