Rickmansworth Aquadrome: a ‘mosaic’ of unique wildlife habitats

A series of ecology surveys were undertaken at the site throughout 2024, examining multiple species of vertebrate and invertebrates, including bats, mammals, bugs, reptiles, and amphibians, and habitats, including the river, lakes, woodlands, and grasslands.

As part of the survey, Teredus cylindricus was found at the 41-hectare nature reserve. The beetle is one of the 13 nationally recognised endangered species of invertebrates that live at the site.

The results will help Three Rivers District Council understand the important habitats and species living at the site, which will contribute to the wider project funded by The National Lottery Fund, ‘Identify, Inform, Involve—Natural Heritage Networks at Rickmansworth Aquadrome’. Each surveyor has made recommendations to help habitat management, and the council will consider all suggested actions.

Key findings included:

- Five bat species including common and soprano pipistrelle, noctule, daubentons and serotine. It was noted that five further species were suspected to have been within the survey area.

- Two amphibian species including the common frog and smooth newt, alongside one reptile, the grass snake which is a priority species in the UK.

- 15 species of terrestrial mammal, including all three species of British shrew, the common, pygmy and water.

- 269 species of invertebrates.

- Water vole feeding activity along the river Colne, with a resident population identified further upstream out of the Aquadromes boundary.

- Four Habitats of Principle Importance, including the wet woodland, the lowland mixed deciduous woodland, native hedgerows and rivers (priority habitat).

Cllr Jon Tankard, Lead Member for Sustainability and Climate Change, said: “I am delighted to see the results of these ecology surveys which have revealed a much larger ecological diversity that we could have imagined. We (TRDC) can now take this information and use this to proactively manage the land and continue to encourage, promote and protect the future biodiversity of this site.

“This range of species suggests that Rickmansworth Aquadrome provides an important mosaic of habitats for a diverse assemblage of both invertebrates and vertebrates.”

Students are invited to use this data to help with their studies, dissertations or coursework. If this information is used, please reference ‘Three Rivers District Council, Leisure Services’ and email leisure@threerivers.gov.uk so that we can appreciate any work written about this Local Nature Reserve.

If you are interested in learning more, please click hereto view a comprehensive summary of the surveys, as well as PDFs of the surveys themselves.