Defra may approve controversial neonicotinoid
Under pressure from the sugar beet industry, emergency authorisation of Cruiser SB, thiamethoxam pesticide, is likely to be approved shortly, says sources inside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The sugar beet industry is calling for the pesticide’s use in order to protect seeds from yellows disease virus. However, the pesticide is…
The National Forest for Wales
National Forest for Wales is a unique project aiming to create a nationwide network of publically accessible woodlands and forests. This will including creating new woodlands, as well as restoring existing ones, for the benefit of wildlife and the wellbeing of communities. You can become part of the project and receive a free native tree…
Q&A with Dr Matt Geary
We hope you all enjoyed our Annual meeting on 27 November. Attendees had lots of questions for speaker Dr Matt Geary on his talk about White-faced Darter genetics. Here are his answers. . . Caroline: Re low recapture rate – could they have just flown elsewhere/dispersed rather than not survived? Or do they tend…
We’ve won the John Sawyer NBN Open Data Award 2021!
The BDS has won the National Biodiversity Network Trust’s John Sawyer NBN Open Data Award 2021. The award is given to organisations that make a significant contribution to open biodiversity data in the UK and are committed to working towards the NBN’s vision of “collecting and sharing wildlife data openly to educate and inform”. Since…
Study shows neonicotinoid water pollution drives decline in dragonfly emergence
While the impacts of neonicotinoids on pollinators have been widely publicised and condemned, evidence is growing that these agricultural chemicals are having similar consequences for aquatic invertebrates. In a recent study by the University of California, aquatic insect larvae populations were grown in outdoor pools and exposed to different levels of thiacloprid (insecticide) pollution. As…
UK Wildlife Podcast ~ State of Dragonflies
In the latest episode of the UK Wildlife Podcast, host Neil Phillips chats to BDS Officer Eleanor Colver about the results of State of Dragonflies 2021, and what they mean for the future of British species. Listen to the full episode here.
Willow Emerald Watch Project Report 2021
Thank you to everyone who submitted Willow Emerald Damselfly sightings. Here are the results of your hard work. . . Once again, Willow Emeralds had a good year, with numerous records from both traditional and new areas; 496 records have currently appeared on iRecord (as of 7/10/21), with many more likely to be submitted by…
High levels of medical drugs, harmful to invertebrates, present in British rivers
A study by Buglife, published on 26 September 2021, found widespread contamination from pharmaceutical products in UK waterways. Medical drugs enter river systems through various routes including output from water treatment facilities, runoff from agricultural land, and discharge from septic tanks. Anti-Inflammatories, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac, were found in 84% and 34% of the study’s samples…
State of Dragonflies 2021 report press release
More dragonflies are gaining than losing from climate change, but is this good news? The full report can be accessed here. The State of Dragonflies in Britain and Ireland 2021 report, just published online by the British Dragonfly Society (BDS), shows that dragonflies are bucking the trend of declining species in Britain and Ireland.…