In a mammoth undertaking to restore one of the Island's wetlands, about 14 volunteers and staff at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) literally got their hands dirty at the weekend to restore a freshwater pond at the facility's nature reserve.

BBSR volunteer Kate Lantagne has walked past the reserve almost every day for the last two years and thought what a waste it was that the site had become overgrown and mosquito-infested since it was created by BBSR in the late 1980s.

The Nunnemacher Nature Reserve, named after the scientist, teacher and volunteer at BBSR for more than 30 years, started off as a smaller version of Nonsuch Island.

BBSR director Wolfgang Sterrer envisaged native and endemic species of plants and a freshwater pond.

However during the initial excavation, the water table was penetrated, bringing salty tidal water into the basin.

Ms Lantagne said the area was left as a saltwater tidal pond for various reasons ? not all successful.

"During the summer and periods of low tides, the pond dries out preventing a permanent fish population and in the winter and during rainy periods the pond plays host to mosquitoes with no fish to eat the larvae," she said.

She said the site also became overgrown with seaside purslane, jumbie bean and Mexican pepper.

Following months of research and input from David Wingate ? who threw his weight behind the restoration project ? the team of volunteers hope to have the project completed by the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the Nunnemacher Nature Reserve in December.

This will include the creation and completion of a freshwater pond, but Ms Lantagne said it all depended on finding funding and volunteers.

Those who did give their time on Saturday were mostly BBSR staff and residents on the property.

They cleared away the invasive species of trees and shrubs and marked out the modified pond site.

Later a shelf will be cut, allowing the installation of a high-density polyethylene pond liner and backfilling of the dyke to water level.

Native and endemic marsh and aquatic flora will be planted along the bank and in the water and fish will be introduced to the new pond.

BBSR's education officer and Jason Project coordinator John Paul Skinner said Bermuda's freshwater and brackish ponds were home to a variety of native and endemic species, some of them rare.

Mr. Skinner said many of these habitats in Bermuda were threatened by human activities and he was working through the Jason Project at getting students involved in efforts to restore and preserve these areas.

In undertaking the project, BBSR restoration team hopes to create a new safe breeding area for one of Bermuda's rare fish species, the endemic killifish, which may be able to adapt to a freshwater habitat.

Jason Project is an international educational programme that allows students to experience real-life science via live satellite links, online expeditions and chats, and an integrated classroom curriculum.