The Northmoor Trust has monitored amphibian populations for over twenty years and has a unique body of knowledge. The project will look to create a landscape exceptionally rich in amphibians and other wetland species.

It will be based around an extremely important existing site for herptiles and odonata- the Wittenham Clumps SAC and SSSI. Existing wetland habitat will be restored and enhanced and will diversify by creating new wetland habitat including ponds wet woodland and wetland scrapes in the immediately surrounding area. Over a wider landscape it will look to create new populations of amphibian species by appropriate habitat management.

The project will directly benefit two UK BAP priority habitats, ponds and wet woodland and two species, the Great Crested Newt and the Common Toad. It will indirectly benefit three priority species of bats including Noctule and Brown long-eared, five birds including Linnet and Reed Bunting and a number of invertebrates.

The project is located within one of a suite of priority areas identified by the Oxfordshire Nature Conservancy Forum ( ONCF ) for biodiversity work at a landscape scale and will therefore form part of a wider vision to create a network of biodiversity hotspots along the Thames Valley.