Volunteer day at Hotspot Crombie Country Park – 7th March, 10am – 3pm
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 Callum.Lyall@angusalive.scot 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 marijke.leith@nature.scot 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.
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!
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.
- 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