A NEGLECTED pond at Shebbear College has been getting a facelift, thanks to help from the Friends of Shebbear and a former college student. The pond behind the school's biology laboratory was affectionately referred to as a conservation area, but what was really being conserved were weeds and scrub vegetation. Now the whole area is being landscaped with a view to encouraging birds, amphibians and insects to return. The pond is being re-excavated and designed to promote the establishment of a diverse and natural community of plants and animals. A dipping platform is being constructed to provide access to the pond. In the surrounding area there will also be a new hedge bank, bird, butterfly and bat boxes plus a wild flower meadow and wetland area. The project is being overseen by former pupil Nick Purdew, currently working as a volunteer for the National Trust at Hartland.