Turtle Ramps

When this pond was first dug out, many years ago, it was designed to hold fish such as carp & orfe. The sides are quite steep, which is fine for fish, but not so
good for turtles.
In the summer this might not be a problem, but in the cooler months, it may cause some turtles to drown. Species such as the European Pond Turtle Emys orbicularis, which are not great swimmers, can struggle to reach the surface for air.



So to convert this pond for turtle use, i needed to fit in ramps leading from the shelves to the basking areas. Fencing mesh was used to make these, which is easily shaped to suit the application, the mesh was then covered in coir sheeting.



The coir offers good footing for the turtles to climb and is eco friendly. When cutting the mesh to size, a pocket can be added to take suitable stone(s) to hold the ramp to the pool floor.



The top can then be bent to suit and tucked under edging stones, giving turtles direct access to basking spots and possible nesting sites.



I will make another ramp or two which will go from the pool bottom to the shelving zones.
Hopefully the coir will not break down too quickly, otherwise a different covering will be sought out such as pond liner underlay.