Building Ponds and Wildlife Shelters (Axis 2)

In collaboration with the quarry team, we have started constructing ecological ponds and shelters tailored to the site’s arid climate and rocky terrain. The first pond is already proving successful: we observed Berber toads (Sclerophrys mauritanica) engaging in breeding activity and tracked their complete metamorphosis from eggs to juveniles (see photos).

The shelters were designed to be low-cost and eco-friendly, using local materials, such as recycled quarry rubble and plant debris. Their heterogeneous structure, including varied tunnels and cavities, provides a range of microclimates and safe refuges to support a diversity of species.

To simulate natural wetland conditions, we planted Typha angustifolia, a native aquatic plant. Additionally, we introduced select individuals of local reptiles and amphibians (i.e Mauremys leprosa and Pelophylax saharicus) to help establish a founding population and encourage natural settlement.