Dragonflies in the Garden talk – Ruary Mackenzie Dodds
Renowned naturalist and author of The Dragonfly Diaries Ruary Mackenzie Dodds, described by TV personality Chris Packham as “the greatest ambassador these insects have had in the UK…” will be in the gardens to talk to visitors about dragonflies and Exbury’s very special ‘hotspot’ status on 6th and 13th July at 11.30am and 2:30pm.
Copies of his book The Dragonfly Diaries are available to purchase in our Gift Shop.
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity which is free with a gardens admissions ticket or a Friends of Exbury Membership.
Image by Exbury Gardens
Renowned naturalist and author of The Dragonfly Diaries Ruary Mackenzie Dodds, described by TV personality Chris Packham as “the greatest ambassador these insects have had in the UK…” will be in the gardens to talk to visitors about dragonflies and Exbury’s very special ‘hotspot’ status on 6th and 13th July at 11.30am and 2:30pm.
Copies of his book The Dragonfly Diaries are available to purchase in our Gift Shop.
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity which is free with a gardens admissions ticket or a Friends of Exbury Membership.
Image by Exbury Gardens
Join us for this year’s BirdFair on 11, 12 & 13 July 2025 where nature lovers and birdwatchers gather to celebrate the natural world.
Come and find our stand in the exhibitor’s marquees to find out more about our conservation work and learn about dragonflies – we look forward to meeting you there!
Our stand will be accessible 9am to 5.30pm daily. Last admission to marquees is at 4pm.
The event hosts a mix of talks, events and workshops as well as other stalls from wildlife charities and other organisations.
We are excited to be exhibiting at Chatsworth Garden and Plant Fair!
We will be showcasing the wonder of dragonflies, highlighting the species you may find in your garden and how we can all do our bit for their conservation by adding a pond to our gardens.
The event will also have opportunities to browse specialist plant nurseries, meet garden experts, and experience a variety of talks and tours, plus live music and local food.
Click here for more information.
[Image: Garden pond by Dave Smallshire]
The Hawk Conservancy Trust’s Big Wild Weekend is a festival of British nature, showcasing the wonderful natural world on our doorsteps. A range of wildlife activities and stands from UK Conservation charities will be present for the weekend.
Join us for family-friendly dragonfly crafts and activities to celebrate these incredible insects.
The event runs 10am-5.30pm on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th.
Pre-booking advised. Paid entry to the Centre required.
[Image: Banded demoiselle by Stephen Evans]
We are excited to be running a stand at Green Gathering, an off-grid, grassroots festival, exploring low-impact living through music, arts, activism, spoken word, crafts and so much more.
We will be showcasing the wonder of dragonflies, running craft activities and inspiring conservation actions for all to take part in.
So grab your tickets now and make sure to stop by and say hello!
Come and join the Dragonfly Society and WWT at the Wild Weekend, part of the Natural History Consortium’s Festival of Nature.
Join us for dragonfly crafts and activities to celebrate WWT’s Dragonfly Festival and learn more about these incredible insects.
We will have a stand in Millennium Square for the whole weekend, from 10am-6pm on Saturday 14th and 10am-5pm on Sunday 15th.
You can also take part in the Water Parade on at 2.30pm with your dragonfly creations made in our craft workshops: https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/event/wild-weekend-water-parade/
The Festival of Nature (7th-15th June) includes many free family-friendly nature activities, exhibitor stalls, wildlife film screenings, talks and performances, music and parades, in Bristol. https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/
[Image: Northern Damselfly by D Muir]
Dragonfly walks and stall as part of the Emberton Country Park 60th celebration weekend.
There will be other entertainment, stalls, and services as part of the birthday event.
Three guided walks will occur each day at 11am, 1pm and 3pm , lasting 1 hour each, led by the site’s dragonfly recorder. The walks will focus on the diversity of dragonflies on site, as well as other invertebrates and birds.
The event runs 10am-4pm on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th.
Join us for a family nature day this July!
Activities include:
– Bug hotel building
– Pond dipping
– Butterfly & dragonfly counts
– Narrowboat trips along Chesterfield Canal
Everyone is welcome!
A day of Practical Conservation Work at Bell Lake Marsh, part of the Red River Local Nature Reserve near Camborne
Saturday 29th March 2025
Leader: Steve Jones and Jo Poland
Moving off from the meeting point at the bottom of Cuttings Hill, (SW629422), at 11.00am
(Please ensure that you arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before the event start time to collect tools & PPE)
Join the team for the final scrub bashing session of the season, to get Bell Lake Marsh in shape for the Spring & Summer ahead. Who knows, there may even be a few damselflies joining us if the sun has got his hat on!
Remember to wear old clothes, it’s a messy job if you get carried a way and sparks from Gary’s bonfire will damage clothing if you get too close!!! Wellies are a must and don’t forget to bring a packed lunch. We will provide tools along with gloves and protective eyewear, however you are more than welcome to bring your own kit if you feel happier using that. For health & safety purposes we will be taking down contact details for all those attending.
You can see photos & read about the ongoing work at our Red River Valley sites, along with the species involved on the Red River Rescuers Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/redriverrescuers/ Why not register and get regular updates. Don’t worry if you’re not on Facebook, we have our own website where you can also read all about our activities here: www.redriverrescuers.weebly.com
Here is the link to the short film, “Great Wheal Seton, Wildlife Habitat on the Edge”:
https://youtu.be/DvnDEmYpNtI?si=lyEkj858jL53CTIp
Directions to Bell Lake Marsh: Leave the A30 dual carriageway at the Camborne West exit (Treswithian).
If you are travelling in a westerly direction turn left at the end of the slip road and go all the way around the roundabout and back along the same road to cross over the A30 before turning left on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
If you are travelling in an easterly direction turn left at the end of the slip road & immediately left again on to a minor road heading for Reskadinnick. After a quarter of a mile you will pass Camborne/Treswithian Downs Crematorium on your right and shortly after that you should turn right (which in effect is straight on) heading for Bell Lake/Coombe, (do not take the turning for Reskadinnick). Follow this road for half a mile, it will then drop down a steep hill, park at the bottom along the entrance to the track on the right or just after the river bridge.
Please park sensibly and do not obstruct vehicular access along the track.
Bell Lake Marsh is one of the best remaining dragonfly sites along the Red River Valley, supporting breeding colonies of the nationally scarce Small Red Damselfly & Keeled Skimmer. In the last 10 years it has lost it’s colony of the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly & during the last 30 years it has lost a Marsh Fritillary colony. Our aim is to reverse the decline of this important wetland habitat by removing invasive willow, gorse, birch saplings & lesser reedmace, opening up the site with a series of work parties over the autumn & winter. Please come along and lend a hand with this very worthwhile task, it will keep you fit while you have fun & enjoy a bit of constructive destruction!