Viewing location: Diversity pond in Melltorp

2026-05-02

A wonderfully warm and sunny day when the birches are in bright green leaf cracking, it is time for the inauguration of Melltorpsdammen. We are close to 30 curious people who have gathered at the restored dam today. Here Bosse talks about how the old "catch and release" dam from the 60s has been restored to make more room for biodiversity.

By removing shady conifers on the sunny side where the beach has also been extended, a warm environment is created for amphibian eggs and fry. On the other side of the pond there is more shade and a cooler environment where the frogs can stay if it gets hot. Today we see several frogs playing and moving a bit out in the pond and a beautiful woodcock flying over the pond just during the inauguration.

Of course, it is not only frogs and reptiles that benefit from a pond, but also birds such as grebes and other ducks, waders (such as the woodcock) that find food at the shoreline. Water bodies are also important for many different insects, such as dragonflies and various species of mosquitoes, which in turn become important food for birds. Of course, larger animals such as moose, deer, foxes and wild boars also like to go down and drink at a pond.

In addition to the pond restoration itself, which also includes a 2-meter deep hole in the middle of the pond (where frogs can overwinter on the bottom) and cleaning the inlet and outlet for adequate flow and oxygenation of the water, the support has also been used to set up birdhouses in and around the pond, build two overwintering mounds (so-called "frog hotels") and prepare benches and a new barbecue area for visitors to use.

When we unveiled the sign and declared the place open, everyone had the opportunity to look around, look for frogs, birds and insects and ask questions about ponds and wetlands. Then we went up to the barbecue area for some sausages with bread, coffee and cake and some nice company and networking in the sunshine.

If you would like to visit the pond and use the barbecue area, please contact the landowners Bo and Birgitta Kjellson on 070-6520215 if you would like to stop by or have any questions about the pond. Here you will find directions to the viewing location: Melltorp, Vårgårda https://maps.app.goo.gl/jdrotnfyCMG6Zqvu9

2025-10-15

It is a grey and damp autumn day when I pay a return visit to Bo and Birgitta outside Vårgårda. Spring and summer have already passed and nature is starting to go to sleep for the winter. Therefore, now is the right time to start the excavation work that will be done in and around the pond to provide better conditions for birds and amphibians, among others.

Today, an excavator is on site and he has already managed to open up and level a wider path down to the pond, built a frog hotel and dug out the inlet for a better flow to the pond.

In the coming days, the excavator will continue to slope out one side of the pond to create a shallow, warm area for frogs to play in. Overgrown vegetation will be removed and a deep hole will be dug out, and the outlet will also be opened up slightly.

The frog hotel is made of large stones, with a space in the middle filled with branches and dead wood from deciduous trees. This is then covered with ground cloth and soil is placed on top, where vegetation can gradually establish itself. This becomes a wintering place for amphibians. When the dead wood breaks down inside the stones, a slightly warm and suitable environment is created for the frogs. Two frog hotels are being built next to the pond. Near the outlet there is already a natural element with stones, rice and dead wood that can function as a wintering place for frogs, so it should be preserved as it is.

In addition to the excavation work, some other things will be prepared before the opening in the spring, an island in the middle of the pond for nesting birds, a bench, a barbecue area and signs, perhaps even some bird or bat nests will be built.

2025-02-10

On a crisp winter day in early February, I meet Bo and Birgitta Kjellsson at their croft Mellby, in Vårgårda municipality. On the road between Ljung and Vårgårda, there is a small forest road that leads to the croft, where they also have a gathering place with a barbecue hut. Below the barbecue hut is the pond that was built in the 1960s but is now growing again. Here, Bo and Birgitta want to create favorable conditions for frogs, salamanders, birds and other wild animals by restoring the pond. After we have walked around and looked at the pond, Bo and Birgitta invite us to a warming outdoor lunch with grilled sausages, coffee and cake in the barbecue hut and tell us more about the plans for the pond and about the forest and land they own around the croft. It is clear that both Bo and Birgitta have a great commitment to nature and want to do something good with their land around Melltorp.

By becoming one of EkoBoost's viewing sites and thus receiving help with financing the restoration, it will be possible for them to carry out this project. Since the pond is overgrown with reeds, the plan is to clear both the inlet and outlet for a better flow of water. A deep hole will be dug in the middle of the pond and part of the pond's edges will be sloped off to provide shallower surfaces. Some trees on the edge of the pond will be taken down to improve sunlight at the pond. In this way, the water will warm up more easily in the shallow parts of the pond, which provides good conditions for amphibians to reproduce. In the deep hole, amphibians can overwinter on the bottom of the pond. In addition, they will build a couple of islands in the pond where ducks can nest, and a wintering mound on land for the amphibians (so-called "frog hotels") will also be created. The spruce forest around the pond has recently been cut down, and the area will self-rejuvenate with deciduous forest, which can also benefit the biodiversity around the pond. To make the site more accessible, the path down to the pond will also be widened and graveled.

Work on the restoration of the pond will begin in the fall of 2025 to ensure that the amphibians are not disturbed when they are active during the spring and summer. The plan is for the work to be completed by spring 2026, and then we look forward to attending the inauguration, perhaps to a chorus of spring frog croaking.