You can help our freshwater world. It badly needs all the help it can get.

Consider your water usage. Untill our last water bill came in I thought we were relatively economical in our use of this valuable resource. The bill proved otherwise.

Letting water stream unecessarily, daily showers for longer than necessary, dripping taps, all the usual components were there.

With the help of someone with knowledge of water use we measured the amount of water used by our shower. One minute = one bucket full of water= about 10 litres. Our showering time was unecessarily long. It was sufficient to rinse off, turn the stream off , soap up and then rinse off.

The habit of daily showers is a modern phenomena, not necessary, and when you add in the energy costs from heating the water, very wastefull. People still get by very well today by daily washing, and showering less regularly. Arguably it is better for your skin and certainly it is better for the enviroment.

I can imagine that if like me you tend to be a shower lover, that does not seem particularly attractive, but being aware of how modern habits and expectations for water usage have changed over the years is illuminating.

Our lives have become so busy we feel we have to have gadgets to help us cope. Washing up machines for the washing up, washing machines for the clothes etc etc. These all use an enourmous amount of water, and the chemicals that we daily mix into it surely do not help.

Our expectations of cleanliness and hygene have changed. clothes are washed unecessarily . people staying in hotels often expect their towels to be renewed daily. We wash cars unnecessarily, spray our lawns and water gardens , unnecessarily.

In the united kingdom and many other countries, unnecessary water extraction is itself placing huge strains on the natural fresh water reserves. Even in rainy periods the water levels stay low, as they are not sufficiently replenished.

This problem wil only become more acute as we concentrate populations and ever expanding numbers of gadgets together.

Contrast this wastage with the water realities for much of the developing world, where clean safe water "on tap'' is but a dream. When you have to walk miles for a jerry can of water, I am sure that your notions about this vital resource are totally different.

Try thinking about your own usage. About the chemical coctails you use around your house and flush out into the world. About the resulting wastage and expense for you and the enviroment.

All the indicators point to this whole process escalating in the coming years, as more of the worlds population changes its perception on this valuable resource.

Be aware of his trend and try to make your own adjustments. There is a wealth of information on reducing water usage available.

Try harvesting the water that falls on your own house and using that in your garden, or for washing your car. Pay attention to the chemicals you use daily around your house.

If you want to be more directly proactive to help the freshwater world, consider making a concession to it by making a garden pond. It can be a simple one , it can be a small one, but it WILL make a tremendous difference to your local wildlife.

Pond making is simple. It is fun and a pond will give you and your family endless hours of pleasure. Just make sure that young children and pets where necessary are protected. Ensure that anything that falls in, can come out again A shallow area, or a well placed stick ofr stones can help.

I would suggest planting suitable water plants that fit with your area, preferably native species, and I would not add fish. Then just wait and watch as the miracle of life creation unfolds in your own backyard.

Such a water feature should boost your local biodiversity. With luck it will populate itself with amphibians of all sorts (frogs, toads, salamanders/newts and an assortment of exotic looking insects).

These creatures are dependant on a suitable water source to complete their life cycles. These valuable water resources are being lost at an alarming rate through developement, so adding a water habitat in your area will help enormously.

Amphibian populations are declining alarmingly around the world. They are a canary in the mine, as their susceptibility to the effects of global warming, sickness (which tends to spread globally now with our help) and habitat loss is an early warning signal.

Their delicate skins also are vulnerable to the chemicals and pollutants with which we bombard our world.

Their very fragility is something to be valued by us. For this gives us a clear idea of the damage being done by us in the name of progress. If we heed the warning now, maybe, we can make that better world.

A primary source of food tends to be insects, so having these animals in your garden is very beneficial to gardeners.

I would suggest not stocking your pond with fish which tend to eat the eggs and young of amphibians. Ponds should require minimal maintenance, while your waiting for them to self populate.

Amphibians and insects alike badly need a helping hand as they struggle to adjust to the massive changes we are unleashing on the world. Building a pond is one of the greatest contributions to your local wildlife that you can directly make.

Simply put, the more ponds in your neighbouhood the better. Linking populations that are struggling. Creating pathways and corridors along which our natural world can thrive. Helping to reverse the process of obstruction and isolation.

The more we can help, by providing a pond enviroment, and inspiring others to do so, the more powerfull the effect will be. You make a contribution. You become a creator of good things

When you make a difference in this way, you benefit all the other species in your area which also need the element of life.

Water, Life, Hope. Mix them together.

Pond Power!