The Variable Damselfly Photo Challenge
The Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) is thought to be in decline in parts of Britain due to habitat loss, and the British Dragonfly Society is calling on photographers to help with vital research. By submitting photos of Variable Damselflies egg-laying on different plant species, contributors can aid in understanding their habitat needs. Photos should be…
New 5 Year Partnership with Forestry and Land Scotland
Dragonflies – including threatened and endangered species – are set to benefit from a new partnership between the British Dragonfly Society (BDS) and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS). The five-year agreement will see the two organisations build on a previously successful collaboration which delivered habitat creation, enhancement and monitoring. Aligned with the aims of the…
Monmouthshire 2030 Dragonfly Atlas Project Update
Monmouthshire County Dragonfly Recorder Steve Preddy reflects on how the Monmouthshire 2030 Dragonfly Atlas Project is going now that it has reached the halfway point. The project update also provides a view of what’s to come this 2025 dragonfly season and how you can get involved. Read the 2025 project update here Image: Common…
Shropshire Hills Upland Dragonflies Project update
The BDS would like to thank Shropshire County Dragonfly Recorder Sue Rees Evans for her hard working setting up the Shropshire Hills Upland Dragonflies Project, as well as all those who participated in the project last year. Sue has been working with volunteers to survey key dragonfly species in the Shropshire Hills AONB, in particular…
Creating Pools for Odonata: Azure Hawker on Corrour Estate
Area Co-ordinator for the Cairngorms Stephen Corcoran is leading a field trip to Corrour Estate in the Highlands as part of the IUCN Peatlands Conference. They will be looking at the new Azure Hawker pools that were put in last year and have been a great success.
BDS Northern Dragonfly Pond Project at CIEEM AWARDS
The BDS Northern Dragonfly Pond Project was recently nominated for the CIEEM Small Project Award, which celebrates the achievements of small projects in the ecology and environmental management sector. While our project did not win it was Highly Commended. You can find the award lists here.
Meet the new BDS Scotland Conservation Officer
Jennifer Davidson has joined the BDS as a new full time BDS Scotland Conservation Officer and will be taking over from Andrea Hudspeth who will sadly be leaving us shortly. Jen introduces herself. . . “I have enjoyed over 20 years working in conservation, mainly as a Countryside Ranger in Fife, Tayside and Stirlingshire areas.…
Willow Emerald Watch 2023 update
The BDS has been tracking the range expansion of Willow Emerald Damselfly since it colonised England in 2009. Learn more on the Willow Emerald Watch Project page. Project lead, Adrian Parr, provides an update from the 2023 recording season. . . Willow Emeralds had another relatively good season in 2023, and it was pleasing to…
Volunteers needed in Shropshire Hills
If you live near the Shropshire Hills join the Stepping Stones Project volunteer team! We need volunteers to assist in locating dragonfly habitat, monitoring local populations, and assisting in habitat management. The Stepping Stones is a landscape-scale nature conservation project aimed at restoring the natural habitats of the Shropshire Hills. Watch this introductory video to…
Read the White-legged Damselfly Investigation final report
The final report on the White-legged Damselfly Investigation citizen science project is now available to download here. From 2018 to 2022 over 700 volunteers assisted the BDS in mapping the distribution of the White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) across England and Wales with the aim of assessing changes in the species’ occupancy (geographic area within which…