New River Wye restoration project

The Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has announced a new Upper Wye Catchment Restoration Project funded by the Welsh Government. The project will focus on the catchment upstream of Hay-on-Wye and will involve efforts to reduce sediment and pollutants entering the river and improve its resilience to extreme weather. These enhancements will benefit the entire river…

Adopt a Site map now available

Due to a recent system overhaul by the BTO, the BDS Adopt a Site map has been down for a number of month. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you regularly survey a site (at least three times every year) you can now register it on the Adopt a Site map. This helps us…

Membership News 2024

A Note from the Membership Office As we look forward to the new dragonfly season, it is also the time of year for your membership renewal of the BDS. BDS subscription fees have remained constant for over a decade. However, due to the increasing costs, adjustments are now necessary in order for us to continue…

Free garden packages for community groups in Wales

The Local Places for Nature project is back and here to help you create a green haven for your local community and wildlife – including dragonflies! Hundreds of free packages are available to community groups and organisations to support thier garden projects, from orchards to large scale makeovers. Find out more and how to apply…

Meet our new Operations Officer Jess Slight

Jess is taking over the membership and administration at the BDS. Here is what she has to say about her journey to the BDS. . . “Nature and the world around us has always offered huge inspiration and joy to me. I spend as much time as I possibly can outdoors, walking and swimming. It…

Calling all BDS Volunteers!

We have a request to make to all of our existing volunteers. We now have a brand new database, or CRM, in which to store all of your data that is relevant to your volunteering with the BDS. Having all of this information in one place will enable us to filter information ensuring that you only…

New Damselfly sharing habitat with UK natives

A Damselfly species that came to the UK from Europe poses a minimal risk to native Damselflies and Dragonflies, new research shows. As tens of thousands of species shift their “range” (the areas they live in) due to climate change, the Small Red-eyed Damselfly has spread northwards from the Mediterranean. It was first observed in…

Dragonfly Hotspot: Exbury Gardens update – by Juliet Bloss

Located in the beautiful New Forest, Exbury Gardens is one of our most well-visited Dragonfly Hotspots. Juliet Bloss, dedicated Exbury volunteer and wildlife enthusiast, gives her account of this year’s recording activities and a detailed account of the best spots to go Dragonfly watching. Exbury Gardens was recently designated by the British Dragonfly Society (BDS)…

BDS featured in Countryside Jobs Service Focus Article

Our Conservation Officer highlights the joys of working for the BDS and the fantastic work our volunteers achieve in the latest CJS Focus Article on Working with Wildlife. Countryside Jobs Service is the leading provider of vacancies and career development opportunities within the conservation sector in the country. You can read the full article and…