Westbury Leigh Summer Fete, Wiltshire
A BDS volunteer will be manning a dragonfly stand at this community summer celebration.
With stalls, food, games and live music!
Location: Westbury Leigh Community Hall, Westbury, BA13 3SQ
A fun filled afternoon of discovery and celebrating nature. Come along to the Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve on Friday 21st August for a fun filled afternoon discovering and celebrating the natural world.
Take part in themed crafts and activities, learn about habitats and the fascinating creatures living in them, and enjoy some refreshments.
Find out more about the wetlands of Milton Keynes and meet local wildlife groups to learn about how to help our local wildlife.
This event is designed for families. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult throughout the event. No booking is required for this event.
Full details can be found here: https://www.theparkstrust.com/events/love-wetlands-day/
Join Country Dragonfly Recorder, Fiona McKenna, for a short talk about dragonflies followed by a walk to look for these magical creatures.
There may be a chance to pond dip to look for dragonflies in their larval form. All weather dependent and plans may need to be adapted last minute.
Craft activities will be available in the visitor centre throughout the morning.
Celebrate Dragonfly Day at WWT Steart Marshes and explore this nationally recognised Dragonfly Hotspot through a full day of free family-friendly activities, expert talks, guided walks, creative workshops and wildlife discovery. Highlights include dragonfly talks and walks with expert Jon Van Gowler, a saltmarsh rap workshop with nature rapper Martin Shiells, willow dragonfly weaving, pond dipping, bug hunts, print-making, origami and more. Visitors can also meet local wildlife organisations, browse dragonfly jewellery and enjoy food from Lin Pop’s café. All workshops are free, with donations welcome to support the reserve.
Full details and booking links can be found here: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/steart-marshes/whats-on/events/dragonfly-day-25
Ruary Mackenzie Dodds tells the story of a surprising insect, the Bush Giant Dragonfly.
Of the close to 6,500 worldwide species of Odonata, only 10 spend their larval life in burrows. The rest live in open water. Since 2018, Ruary and his partner Kari de Koenigswarter have been studying the nocturnal behaviour of one of these burrow-dwellers, New Zealand’s Bush Giant, Uropetala carovei. Bush Giants live in ‘colonies’, i.e. clustered groups of self-excavated burrows, located in seepages usually found beside small steeply-sloping watercourses.
Our work has involved the setting up of continuously-running night vision cameras at a site high in the bush above a Wellington suburb, about 22 miles from our base. We’ve learned that Bush Giants don’t go hunting, they lurk at the tops of their burrows catching prey with their labial masks, which they also use as shovels. They come and go exactly with the dusk and the dawn. They are super-sensitive about possible predators. When it’s time for them to transform into adults, they take eight hours to do so. This and many more stories about these fascinating dragonflies!
Ruary Mackenzie Dodds is obsessed with dragonflies. Together with his partner Kari de Koenigswarter and a group of volunteers he set up three major dragonfly awareness-raising iniatives in the UK.
Ruary and Kari now spend most of their time in New Zealand. They have given dragonfly talks/demonstrations to many Kiwi audiences, including the Zealandia Eco-Sanctuary, where they run upskilling courses for volunteers and staff. Ruary also carries out dragonfly survey and consultancy work for the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Join us at Dragonfly Hotspot RSPB Campfield Marsh for a dragonfly walk to celebrate dragonfly week.
Campfield Marsh is an excellent regional site for Odonata and, due to the wide variety of habitats, has good numbers of nationally declining species. The large pond and avenue near the visitor centre have proved to be good for Emperor Dragonfly and Migrant Hawkers, recent arrivals in North Cumbria. The peatbog habitat is naturally the place to encounter the Common Hawker, Black Darter and Emerald Damselfly.
This reserve is also the site of an exciting White-faced Darter introduction project!
Free to attend, email to book your place:
Meet the British Dragonfly Society, The Severn Rivers Trust, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Attingham’s Nature Recovery Team and others, who will all be providing a range of activities over the weekend.
Visitors will be able to take part in a range of activities from guided walks, to water beastie spotting, and arts and crafts, all around the theme of rivers, ponds and the wildlife that inhabit them. Some events over the weekend are drop- in, some are pre-booked in advance, please see individual events listings for more information.
There is no additional charge for events and activities. Admission is free for National Trust members and under 5s, standard admission charges apply for non members.
Guided Dragonfly walk at Emberton Country Park, Bucks.
Meet at 10.30am for an 11am start, for a dragonfly walk that will run until 2pm.
An opportunity to explore the New Earswick Nature Reserve, a former clay pit that now hosts wetlands supporting a wealth of bird and insect life.
Image: Southern Hawker by Bruce Hyde.
Sharing our outdoor spaces with nature brings us joy, improves wellbeing and provides critical habitat and resources for wildlife. It’s easy to create a haven for biodiversity, whatever size your space.
We will be joined, for this specail weekend, by a number of local wildlife organisations to talk about their work and provide useful information.
There will also be garden walks exploring the extensive and diverse species found at Harlow Carr
Bird walks at 10am and 1pm – meet at the bottom of main steps.
Butterfly walks at 12 noon each day.
Childrens activities during the event.
Saturday : Pond dipping – Teaching garden – 10am to 3pm
Sunday: Making seed bombs – Teaching garden – 10am to 3pm
Image: Emperor Dragonfly by Dave Smallshire
How do we think about succession planning for a new generation of nature lovers? What are the entry points into nature-based activities and the potential for future employment opportunities?
With this conference, we will look at ongoing youth investment in nature, ways of combatting eco anxiety and the development of citizen science.
Free event but donations of £20 will cover our costs and be much appreciated.
Join BDS and Angus Alive Rangers to help improve the dragonfly ponds at our first ever Dragonfly Hotspot, Crombie Country Park, near Monikie in Angus. Meet at 10am in the car park at What3Words ref https://map.what3words.com/centrally.torn.centrally
Wear wellies (or waders if you have them), as well as waterproofs and warm clothes as we’ll be removing sedges from one of the ponds and it will be a wet and muddy job (though great fun)! Bring your lunch and a drink though biscuits will be provided.
Please book by emailing Ranger Calum on so we know how many tools & biscuits to bring.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Fun family day with over 30 societies and universities.
Join BDS and NatureScot to help improve the dragonfly ponds at wonderful Dragonfly Hotspot, Morton Lochs, near Tayport in Fife. Meet at 10am in the Morton Lochs car park at What3Words ref https://what3words.com/processes.booms.carry
Wear wellies (or waders if you have them), as well as waterproofs and warm clothes. Bring your lunch and a drink though tea/ coffee and biscuits will be provided.
Please book by emailing site manager Marijke on so we know how many tools & biscuits to bring.
We look forward to seeing you there!
NBN Trust, publishers of BDS Recording Scheme data on NBN Atlas, is holding its annual conference on Thursday, 20 Nov 2025 aboard SS Great Britain at Bristol.
Please refer to the event link for more info, including the conference programme and booking details.
Speakers range from those running schemes & projects that provide data (including eDNA) to the Atlas, through UK data users, to aggregators of global data for whom NBN Atlas is one resource among many.
Records Officer, David Hepper, will be there to represent BDS.
Our London BDS Dragonfly Hotspot is hosting a dragonfly extravaganza including an insect circus, myths, crafts and more.
A series of BDS-led dragonfly walks to learn more about dragonfly biology and identification will take place at:
- 12 and 2pm on Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th and Monday 25th
Walks will last approximately 30-40 minutes each.
The walks are free, but there is an admission cost to the London Wetland Centre.
More information on the full event line up is available on the WWT event webpage.
Image by WWT
Celebrating the insects of Paxton Pits!
Join our friendly volunteers for free guided walks around the Reserve starting at the Visitor Centre at 11am and 2pm.
All are welcome!
A day of celebration and discovery will bring you close to dragonflies, as we celebrate 1 year since the launch of Newport Wetlands as a Dragonfly Hotspot. Designated by the British Dragonfly Society and working in collaboration with RSPB, Natural Resources Wales and Living Levels Partnership. Dragonfly Hotspots are special places, carefully chosen because they support a good variety of dragonfly and damselfly species, are easy to access, and can provide opportunities for local communities to learn about dragonflies and get involved with dragonfly conservation and events.
Join us on Sunday 13 July to celebrate and learn more about these wonderful invertebrates. Watch damselflies dancing over ponds and dragonflies hunting along the water’s edge. Delve into the deep and learn about the larval stage of the dragonfly’s life cycle, living up to 5 years under the water!
The day will be jam packed with exciting activities:
- Guided dragonfly walks – ID course and guided walk with Steve Preddy, County Recorder. Please book a ticket to join his session. Start time 10am.
- Pond dipping – Open from 10:30am-2:30pm, Pay at the centre for your equipment, £4.50 each.
- Dragonfly crafting and spotting guides
- Knowledgeable guides on hand with any questions
Join us at the Ryedale Aquarist Society Open Event, where the Yorkshire Dragonfly Group will be in attendance! Come along to learn about the fascinating world of dragonflies and damselflies, chat with local experts, and discover how you can get involved.
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!
Wales Nature Week is a celebration of our magical nature from common everyday species like dandelions and buff tailed bumblebees, to fascinating fungi, soaring red kites and acrobatic red squirrels. It celebrates the gardens, fields and meadows, woods and Celtic rainforest, water and reens, seashore and dune, and all the magical places nature finds a home.
And importantly, it celebrates the people, nature organisations, communities, schools and faith groups who carry out incredible work for nature in their area.
More information
A whole day exploring Dragonflies at the Avalon Marshes Centre.
Orchestrated by Odonata oracle Jon Van Gowler, the day will explore the science and the place we hold dragonflies in our society through photography and art.
The event will be opened by Chris Sperring M.B.E. and will contain talks, photographic presentation and chances to see live larvae in pond-dipping sessions.
For more information and for booking talks click here.
Image: Four-spotted Chaser by Iain Leach
This beginner course on dragonflies and damselflies is aimed at all those with a desire to learn more about identifying these stunning insects. Open to all levels of ability, we aim to introduce you to a number of dragonflies and damselflies close-up so that you will be confident in your abilities to identify them and make species records.
This course will include:
- An introduction to dragonflies and damselflies and understanding the differences between them.Â
- Classroom workshops on the identification of both dragonflies and damselflies.
- Hands-on practice (weather permitting) netting and identifying dragonflies in the field.
- An explanation of how to take your interest further and actively contribute to the conservation of dragonflies and damselflies by making biological records.
Full information on the FSC website.
Image: Southern Hawker by Bruce Hyde