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@Broadfork I have a small pond overlooked by a wildlife camera.
It attracts frogs, foxes, birds, cats and quite a few birds. It gets almost no attention from us!
I never sought permission as theres nothing in our site rules about ponds (or cameras)

@MikeFromLFE This morning our site constitution said “no ponds are allowed on site.” This rule will happily now be changed.

@feinschmeckergarten I’ve asked for a hydrological survey to be carried out on the site. Which we will look into doing, no guarantees, but it’s likely a pond or series of ponds will be among the recommended actions.

I still hope a communal pond will be possible but it wasn’t to be today.

I’m relieved that’s all over. Happy with the result, especially after it was suggested rule changes such as this could only be done after the next AGM this time next year.

@Broadfork One more year! That is an enormous resistance to change when you have such long periods to get anything decided. Well, if you get anything decided at all.
Would be good to get some experts in.
When I worked at a university, I sometimes got colleagues from other universities to tell our professors what I could have told them as well. External expertise, however, had always more weight.
Then I went to the other places to return the favour.

@feinschmeckergarten Do you see why I am looking for a plot elsewhere?

Yesterday was a good outcome but I’m really weary of what it took to get here.

I hope when I leave the site (probably some time next year) it will have ponds on it.

Why do people not listen to their inside expertise? The views of you and your colleagues within the organisation would be extremely valid on your own subjects. Otherwise, why would the organisation employ you all in those positions in the first place?

@Broadfork Yes, I see the need with these time frames. for the next site!
Thing with universities here is, that they are full of status-minded, hierarchically thinking narcissists. Whenever you try to change something, a professor will say 5-3. (Article 5, paragraph 3 of German constitution: "Research and education are free")
Even if there are legal obligations to do something, some people will argue on that basis that they do not have to follow the law.
Worst working environment ever.

@amberfirefly I will certainly pass my recommendations to the committee early this week. They do have a lot of other things on their plates.

There’s one more committee meeting at the end of this month. We’re quickly running out of road to do things this year but I’ll try.

@clew Sorry, just saw this.

No small-scale ponds should adversely impact their neighbouring plots. The criteria for the ponds should ensure this consideration is met.

As to the site itself. It’s hypothetical but it may be after a survey that a recommendation would be to add two or three different types of ponds down the slope to slow and capture the flow of water.

Different designs of ponds will be more effective on different locations of the slope.

@Broadfork Two thoughts --

"should" is a little unclear (in US English, sorry). Meaning that it would be bad if they did have adverse impacts, or that you don't expect they will? And are there possible impacts that you have agreed would warrant changing or removing a pond?

Lots of group circumstances in which we only came to an agreement over what to do on the "happy path", the way we all hoped it would work out, and were doubly troubled when something else occurred.

@clew Provided the requirements are set out well and each individual small-scale pond is agreed and installed properly, in the correct place with overspill met, then no pond will adversely impact their neighbouring plots.

The ponds will be small-scale but numerous and varied enough to promote the biodiversity we want to encourage on site.

I don’t envision anything too problematic happening. Life span of materials used is key. Ponds that fail to meet criteria will be improved or removed.