Five years ago, Nick and Mark received permission to excavate an old pond on Wanstead Flats, the southernmost part of Epping Forest in Leytonstone, East London. This area has a rich history of activism, with past protests here credited for helping launch the UK’s conservation movement and the Right to Roam. After clearing away the reeds and rubbish they created a thriving aquatic ecosystem where frogs and newts now breed. This film is part of Common Ground, a multimedia documentary project exploring the ecology of Wanstead Flats and the people who use it.