The Society

Awareness raising through effective communication is a vital part of our work. If we are going to recruit more dragonfly fans to help us to save dragonflies, damselflies and the habitats they rely upon, then they first need to know why this work is important and why these species are so special. This is the job of our Conservation Outreach Officer, supported by a network of fantastic outreach volunteers. Together they work hard to increase public understanding and awareness of dragonflies and get more people involved in their conservation.

Through our Dragonfly Hotspots Project we work in partnership with site managers to provide communities with local learning hubs, where they can go to connect with dragonflies and the wonderful wetland habitats they call home.

Throughout the year we also attend and host a multitude of public events, from field meetings to family fun days, to give more people the opportunity to explore the amazing world of dragonflies.

The work we do for dragonfly research we put to good use in conserving dragonflies and their habitats. We work with various partner organisations on dragonfly conservation projects, including habitat restoration and species re-introductions.

We also provide advice to other conservation organisations, governmental bodies and private landowners on managing for endangered dragonflies.

In addition to our policy support work, we also engage in consultations and development plans which impact threatened dragonflies and their habitats, working to protect dragonflies both now and in the future.

Significant milestones that eventually led to the formation of the British Dragonfly Society.

• Feb 1968 – scheme set up by John Heath (BRC) to map the distribution of dragonflies in Britain and Ireland.
• June 1974 – production, by John Heath’s assistant Mike Skelton, of a small booklet of preliminary distribution maps for Orthoptera, Dictyoptera and Odonata in the British Isles.
• May 1977 – publication of the Odonata Mapping Scheme’s first Newsletter by Dave Chelmick, who had recently become appointed as voluntary National Organiser of the scheme.
• 1977 – publication of ‘The Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland’ by Cyril Hammond.
• March 1978 – publication of Newsletter No. 2 of the Odonata Mapping Scheme.
• April 7th 1979 – indoor meeting of dragonfly enthusiasts held at the Nature Conservancy Council’s headquarters in Belgrave Square, London, attracted 72 people.
• June 1979 – publication of Newsletter No. 3 of the Odonata Mapping Scheme.
• Spring 1980 – June 1979 – publication of Newsletter No. 4 of the Odonata Mapping Scheme (now renamed the Odonata Recording Scheme).
• June 1980 – informal Recorders’ Meeting at Thursley Common NNR in Surrey, but no indoor meeting this year.
• December 1980 – Bob Merritt becomes Scheme Recorder to assist the National Organiser by dealing with all records.
• September 2nd 1980 – David Chelmick circulated an open letter sent to local scheme organisers and key recorders asking for their views on establishing a British Odonatologists’ Society – about 30 people replied. The initiative to form a society was taken on by Mike Parr and Peter Mill, but not immediately progressed for reasons noted below.
• May 1981 – publication of Newsletter No. 5 of the Odonata Recording Scheme.  Bob Merritt suggests that the recording of first and last dates that he and Harry Robinson had been recording in  Devon and Cornwall for the past few years be extended to cover the British Isles.
• 1981 – letter to Dave Chelmick from an entomologist (unnamed) who had researched through lists of entomological societies’ members and found about 100 people interested in dragonflies. He proposed to add his list to those names on the mailing list of the recording scheme, with the aim of setting up a society to exchange specimens and promote collecting. Bob Merritt consequently dropped the idea of forming a society based on the recording scheme, because he was worried about the damage that unscrupulous collectors might inflict on our rarer dragonflies. He later noted that loss of habitat, not collecting, was the major threat to dragonfly conservation.
• October 1981 – Dave Chelmick steps down as Odonata Recording Scheme organiser and Bob Merritt takes over.
• Jan 1982 – letter from Alan Stubbs, Nature Conservancy Council, to Dave Chelmick cautioning against a formal society as he felt the recording scheme acted as an informal society anyway and there was no need to add to the administrative burden.
• June 1982 – publication of Newsletter No. 6 of the Odonata Recording Scheme. It was reported that there were doubts about the need for a National Society with concern expressed as to whether it would attract sufficient support to make it viable.
• November 1982 – meeting between Bob Merritt and Peter Mill (with John Bowers present) in Leeds, at Peter’s request. Bob agreed to widen the brief of the recording scheme, within the framework of a Dragonfly Study Group, and produce two newsletters each year, but the latter did not happen at this stage.
• Dec 1982 – meeting between Bob Merritt and Roderick Dunn where advances in printing technology and the ability to produce a professional newsletter were realised. At this point the idea of a British Dragonfly Society was agreed.
• Feb 28th 1983 – Philip Corbet was asked, by letter, to become the first President of the Society. He accepted.
• 1983 – publication of Newsletter No. 7 of the Odonata Recording Scheme.

• 1993 – Library, Corporate and Associate Memberships introduced.
• 1993 – ‘Managing habitats for dragonflies’ is published.
• April 1994 – 8th meeting of the Board of Trustees (at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology) and the first to be held in the spring. Hereafter there were two Trustees meetings each year, one in the spring and one following the Members’ Day meeting in the autumn.
• 1994 – Subscription increases by £1 to £6.50. – Membership stands at 1,326.
• 19th November 1994 – the 11th BDS Members day was held at the University of Cambridge.
• 1995 The BDS decided to set up its own recording system for 15 of our rarer species (Rare Dragonfly Project – but it took another couple of years to get it off the ground) and establish a Migrant Recording Scheme. Adrian Parr took over as Migrant Dragonfly Recorder.
• March 1996. The Vice-President of the BDS, Peter Miller, died.
• 1996 – publication of first UK Dragonfly Atlas, edited by Bob Merritt, Norman Moore & Brian Eversham.
• 1997 – BDS takes over responsibility for the Odonata Recording Scheme (later renamed Dragonfly Recording Network) from BRC. BDS membership stands at 1,354.
• 1998 – Established the Odonata Records Committee; also the Key Sites Register launched. BDS membership stands at 1,214.
• BDS website launched mid-1998 by George Mahoney and hosted by him.
• Spring 2000 – BDS website gains its own web address at ‘dragonflysoc’.
• April 2001 – Conservation Officer (Charlie Murray) employed as first BDS member of staff.
• August 2001 – BDS attends the annual Birdfair for the first time.
• 2002 – Education pack published.
• 2003 2nd Conservation Officer (Caroline Daguet)
• July 2004 – BDS starts venturing abroad on group trips. Bulgaria and subsequently Sri Lanka, South Africa and Panama.
• January 2005 – First Patron, Dame Miriam Rothschild, dies.
• March 2005 – Key Sites Project Officer (Graham French) employed as second member of staff to manage data.
• 2007 – Dragonflies in Focus Project launch, Officer (Steve Prentice) appointed, replacing Key Sites. 3rd Conservation Officer (Kat Parkes)
• 2007 – Norfolk Hawker added to Biodiversity Action Plan list.
• 2007 – First volume of the ‘Field Guide to the Larvae and Exuviae of British Dragonflies’, by Steve Cham, published (Dragonflies).
• 2007 – Sir David Attenborough becomes new Patron.
• 2008 – Revised Odonata Red Data List written by BDS and published by JNCC.
• July 2009 – Dragonfly Centre established at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire (partners Dragonfly Project, National Trust) Opened by TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham.
• 2009 – BDS magazine became full colour. 4th Conservation Officer (Claire Install).
• 2009 – First indoor meeting in Scotland held at Napier University in Edinburgh.
• 2009 – Second volume of the ‘Field Guide to the Larvae and Exuviae of British Dragonflies’ published (Damselflies) .
• 2010 – Strategy Workshop held in February – 18 attendees
• 2010 – Strategy output presented at Recorders’ Day in March
• 2011 – New BDS website launched.
• 2011 – First Chief Executive appointed (June).
• 2012 – Updated and combined volume of the ‘Field Guide to the Larvae and Exuviae of British Dragonflies’ published.
• 2013 – 30th Anniversary Year. Jersey Post produced set of 6 Dragonfly Stamps.
• 2013 – First part-time Scotland Officer (Daniele Muir) employed.
• 2014 – Publication of the new UK Dragonfly Atlas in May. Dragonflies in Focus Officer becomes First Records Officer, works part-time.
• 2014 – BDS receives first part of the substantial Reece Watts legacy (~£52,000)
• 2015 – Appointment of 5th Conservation Officer (Genevieve Dalley). First e-newsletter published. 2nd Part-time Records Officer (David Hepper).
• 2015 – BDS receives final part of Reece Watts legacy (~£97,000)
• 2016 – BDS becomes a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
• 2016 – New President: Naturalist, TV personality & author Mike Dilger.
• 2017 – Appointment of first part-time Fundraiser (Sarah Miller), 6th Conservation Officer (Eleanor Colver), 2nd Scotland Officer (Andrea Hudspeth).
• 2018 – Appointment of First Conservation Outreach Officer (Fiona McKenna). Launch of first English BDS Dragonfly Hotspot at Shropshire Hills.
• 2019 – Joel Ashton becomes the first BDS Ambassador, followed later by Green-fingered George (George Hassall). Three more English Hotspots launched at Stover Country Park, Rodley and Thursley Common.
• 2020 – BDS held its first online Spring and Autumn Meetings, plus its first online AGM. Covid pandemic caused the cancellation of most BDS Field Meetings. Virtual launch of Paxton Pits as a BDS Hotspot. BDS grew its social media presence and launched PondWatch as an online event.
• 2021 – Scottish Conference held online (postponed from 2020). State of Dragonflies in Britain and Ireland 2021 Report published in September. Two further BDS Dragonfly Hotspots launched at Whisby and Exbury Gardens. BDS obtains a grant to create and restore ponds for Northern Damselfly, plus a grant to help expand our volunteer base in Scotland. BDS wins the John Sawyer NBN Open Data Award 2021.
• 2022 – Appointment of 2nd Conservation Outreach Officer (Lauren Kennedy). Another English BDS Hotspot was launched at WWT Steart Marshes, plus our first in Wales at Llangorse Lake. New five-year BDS Strategy 2022-2026 started. New partnership agreement to 2025 to benefit dragonfly habitats made between BDS and Forestry Land Scotland.

ORS Newsletter No. 6 was published in June 1982.  After this they become a bit difficult to follow as there are three that are not numbered:

• One dated ‘1983’, which is presumably No. 7. Ed. Bob Merritt.
• The next is ‘3^rd April 1986’ – presumably No. 8, so nothing in either 1984 or 1985 Ed. Bob Merritt
• ‘May 1987’ Ed. Paul Harding – presumably No. 9.
• No. 10 May 1988 Ed. Bob Merritt.

Image credits: Azure Damselflies by Bryn Dowson; river sampling by James Holloway; Exbury Gardens Hotspot launch by Exbury Gardens; Common Clubtail by David Kitching; Griffinfly fossil by Alexandra Albore.