Guided Dragonfly Walks at WWT London Wetland Centre
At least 26 species of Dragonfly have been recorded at WWT London Wetland Centre and is a designated BDS Dragonfly Hotspot; join WWT staff as they guide you around this special site.
Please be aware that the walks are limited to 10 people; a sign-up sheet will be available on the day at admissions.
Walks will take place at:
- 10:30-11:30
- 12:00-13:00
The walks are free, but there is an admission cost.
Image by WWT
At least 26 species of Dragonfly have been recorded at WWT London Wetland Centre and is a designated BDS Dragonfly Hotspot; join WWT staff as they guide you around this special site.
Please be aware that the walks are limited to 10 people; a sign-up sheet will be available on the day at admissions.
Walks will take place at:
- 10:30-11:30
- 12:00-13:00
The walks are free, but there is an admission cost.
Image by WWT
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
If you want to see dragonflies up close, or don’t know your Large Red Damselflies from your Ruddy Darters, then this event is for you.
This is a popular event where you can learn from the experts David Chandler (author of ‘Dragonfly’ and ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of Britain and Ireland’) and Andrea Harrison.
We’ve been really excited to see that Norfolk Hawker dragonflies have been seen several times as they expand their range. What will you see?
Morning session 10.30am – 12.15pm booking link via eventbrite.
Afternoon session 1.15pm-3pm booking link via eventbrite.
This free family event celebrates National Insect Week, with activities for all ages. Come along and join us, searching for beetles, doing a bug hunt, shaking a bush and maybe even seeing moths up close. You may be surprised at the beauty of these ‘creepy crawlies!
Foxearth Meadows sits on the River Stour floodplain in a quiet corner of Essex on the border with Suffolk. The eleven acre reserve has a variety of habitats including the river and riverbank, wetlands and woodland, an ancient field boundary, a series of ponds and marshy flower-rich grassland. Managed especially for dragonflies and damselflies, it is also home to a wealth of wildlife including Otter, Kingfisher, Harvest mouse, Common lizard, Grass snake and Common toad. It has been owned and managed by A Rocha UK since 2015.
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.
Hotspot Project
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.
Campfield Marsh is an excellent regional site for Odonata and 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. Earlier this year, the site began the reintroduction of the White-faced Darter – find out more about this exciting conservation project here.
What’s On
Explore the reserve with experts to learn about dragonfly identification, their fascinating life cycle and where to find them. The day will be jam-packed with exciting activities.
11:00-12:30/13:00
Guided dragonfly walk (2.5 miles). Booking required (email: events@british-dragonlies.org.uk)
All day
- Pond dipping (drop-in)
- Dragonfly craft activities for families
- Spotter sheets of the species to see on site
- Knowledgeable guides on hand for any questions
The Hotspot launch coincides with a reserve open day, with refreshments available and the opportunity to learn more about the other wildlife and conservation activities at Campfield Marsh.
A new interpretation board will be installed on site providing an insight into the dragonflies and damselflies that call Campfield Marsh their home.
Site Information
Please see the RSPB Campfield Marsh page for information on site accessibility, facilities, and other wildlife you can see on site.
Image by Rosser
The dragonfly walk listed in Dragonfly News has been cancelled due to the site’s health and safety policy changes. We apologise for this change to our events programme.
Image by Paul Ritchie.
Dragonflies and damselflies are more than just dazzling aerial acrobats — they’re also key players in healthy freshwater ecosystems. As both predators and prey, they help maintain ecological balance, and their presence is a strong indicator of water quality and environmental change. When dragonflies are thriving, it’s often a sign that our ponds, rivers, and wetlands are doing well too.
In this webinar, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of dragonfly and damselfly surveys — from straightforward techniques suitable for beginners, to more detailed methods used by seasoned recorders. You’ll get an introduction to a range of survey approaches, including:
- Point Counts: Standing at a specific point within or at the edge of a wetland and recording what you can see from that point.
- Transect Walks: Recording the dragonflies along the edge of linear or larger waterbodies.
- Exuviae Surveys: A hands-on method that involves finding the cast-off skins of emerging adults — a reliable way to confirm breeding sites.
- Species-specific Surveys: Survey methods tailored to the specific ecology, behaviour and habitat preferences of target species.
- Site Evaluation: Undertaking priority site assessments to determine if a site is of local and/or national importance.
We’ll look at the benefits and limitations of each technique, when to time your surveys, what habitats and conditions to focus on, and how your sightings can contribute to national initiatives like the British Dragonfly Society’s recording scheme.
Whether you’re an amateur naturalist looking to get more involved in dragonfly monitoring or a conservation professional assessing the health of sites for dragonflies, this session will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to plan your own dragonfly surveys.
The 90-minute event will consist of a 1-hour presentation followed by a Q&A with the tutor using questions provided by the live audience.
The presentations will be recorded and shared with those who booked alongside Q&A transcripts and relevant links following the event via a password-protected website.
Dragonfly & Damselfly Specialist: Dave Smallshire
Dave Smallshire is a lifelong naturalist and former agri-environment adviser with a passion for birdwatching and dragonflies. With 40+ years of experience in entomology and conservation, he co-authored Britain’s Dragonflies, leads global wildlife tours, and actively surveys and conserves biodiversity in Devon.
Booking required via Eventbrite: here.
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