Dragonfly Weekend at WWT Steart Marshes, Somerset (2 days)
WWT Steart Marshes is a Dragonfly Hotspot, home to 23 species of dragonfly! Discover the dragonfly species at the site, including their lifecycle and why this wetland habitat is so important for them.
The event runs 10am-3pm on both Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th.
For further details and timings of activities, see the WWT webpage: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/steart-marshes/whats-on/events/dragonfly-weekend-25
[Image: Blue-tailed Damselfly at Steart Marshes by Dave Smallshire]
Morning walk (approx. 3 hours) to look for a broad range of dragonfly species, including Norfolk Hawker and Variable Damselfly.
Leader / contact: Dr Pam Taylor – Norfolk Dragonfly Recorder
Email: to book or phone 01493 509596
Meet: 10.00am at Upton Fen car park, TG379136. Postcode NR13 6EQ (Low Road).
From Acle, Norwich or Wroxham head towards South Walsham, then follow signs for Pilson Green. Local public transport services are limited. The nearest train station is Acle (3.5 miles).
Image: Norfolk Hawker by Pam Taylor
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.
Guided Dragonfly walk at Emberton Country Park, Bucks.
Meet at 10.30am for an 11am start, for a dragonfly walk that will run until 1-2pm.
An opportunity to see the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies, Small Red Damselflies and 16 other species that have made the Red River Valley Local Nature Reserve at Great Wheal Seton, Rosewarne Mill and Bell Lake Marsh their home.
An opportunity to see the newly discovered Southern Emerald Damselflies in Cornwall and to help explore & establish their range across the dune complex in this restricted access area. Moving on to other sites afterwards. Numbers limited to 20, booking essential.
Image: Female Lestes barbarus by Antonio A Goncalves
This 2.5 day intermediate Freshwater Invertebrates course will provide you with the surveying and identification skills you need to begin to survey freshwater habitats.
Freshwater invertebrates are those which spend at least part of their lifecycle in freshwater, and they are often used in freshwater ecology studies as indicators to assess the health of freshwater ecosystems. Knowing how to identify freshwater species is a key skill for any ecologists or conservationists working in freshwater habitats.
This course will include:
- Introduction to freshwater ecosystems
- Sampling techniques and water quality assessments
- Identification of species
- Bio-security, legislation, risk management and invasive species management
This beginner to intermediate course is designed to be a gentle introduction to surveying freshwater invertebrates for those that have had limited or no experience of identifying them.
You will use hand lenses, microscopes and identification keys to look at what makes a mayfly a mayfly, and how to tell apart the larvae of beetles and flies. Our tutor will guide you through a combination of classroom and field sessions to build up your knowledge, skills and confidence.
This course will include:
- An overview of the major groups of freshwater invertebrates in the UK.
- Sampling techniques including practical experience of pond sampling and river sampling.
- An introduction to using and understanding identification resources to identify freshwater invertebrates to both order and family level.
- A beginners guide to setting up and using microscopes to view freshwater invertebrates.
- Practical experience of using the Field Studies Council AIDGAP ‘Key to the major groups of British freshwater invertebrates‘ to identify invertebrates to order and family level using external morphological features.
Booking and information
Freshwater invertebrates are a diverse and vital part of aquatic ecosystems in the UK, inhabiting rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. These diverse animals include insects, molluscs, crustaceans, and leeches. They play a key role in food webs and are often used as indicators for water quality.
This self-led course equips participants with essential identification skills for studying freshwater invertebrates. Providing an introduction to the main taxonomic groups commonly found in the UK’s freshwater habitats, this Freshwater Invertebrates course will help you develop a deeper understanding of their diversity and ecological importance.
Full information and booking.
Joint meeting with Cleveland Field Naturalists. Due to popularity a return visit to explore this private rewilding project. To date 18 species have been recorded.
Leader – Keith Gittens
Image: Migrant Hawker by Dave Smallshire