Written by: Johanna Willi
2026
One of Fife Golf Trust’s courses sits within a popular Country Park managed by the local authority, and a more collaborative approach is being fostered for conservation initiatives. A pond by the Visitor Centre had become overgrown. The Trust developed a restoration plan and undertook landscaping as well as removal of a proportion of the encroaching vegetation to restore and enhance its value as a freshwater habitat.
The bankings were re-profiled to improve the potential of the pond to support biodiversity, notably by creating various shallow, graded bankings as well as shelving and an undulating edge. Maintaining areas of standing open water is important for a range of aquatic and wetland species, including aquatic invertebrates, amphibians and waterfowl.
The works also help to prevent the pond from becoming progressively infilled through the accumulation of vegetation and organic material, supporting its long-term ecological function. Retaining suitable marginal vegetation alongside areas of open water ensures that the pond continues to provide shelter, feeding and breeding opportunities for a range of species.
