Meet our new Conservation Outreach Officer!

Lauren Kennedy joined the BDS team this month as the new Conservation Outreach Officer. Lauren: “Growing up in South Wales I was not short of amazing wild spaces to explore, I soon became obsessed with botany and a wide range of invertebrate groups. I went on to study a BSc Biology at Cardiff University followed…

Northern Damselflies on Countryfile – Sunday 9 January 2022

Tune into Countryfile on BBC 1 this Sunday (9 January) for a sneak peek into the world of the endangered Northern Damselfly (Coenagrion hastulatum). The segment will be hosted by Xander Johnston, aka ‘Antboy’, a young Cairngorms-based entomologist; you can check out his social media below: Youtube: Xander Johnston – AntBoy Instagram: @antboy396   Countryfile…

Help to End the Retail Sale of Peat in Horticulture

The Government has launched a consultation on the subject of ending the retail sale of peat in horticulture. Please take a few minutes to have your say on this important issue. There is no need for peat-based compost to be used when perfectly good alternatives exist. Peatlands are biodiverse habitats that support rare species like…

Dragonflies disappear around the world as wetlands are lost

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has conducted its first ever global Red List assessment of Odonata (dragonflies). The study concluded that 16% of 6,016 species assessed are at risk of extinction. The species’ decline correlates to the deterioration and destruction of their wetland breeding habitats. Habitat loss, in many countries, is linked to…