Dragonflies & Damselflies of Penhale Sands MOD site
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
Joint meeting with Freshwater Habitats Trust to explore the numerous ponds of the Military Training Area. An FHT Flagship Ponds site, to date 19 species of Odonata have been recorded. Distance 3 – 4 miles. Leaders – Keith Gittens, Anne Carter.
Image: Common Darter by Dave Smallshire
An opportunity to visit the Forestry Commission’s Beaver Project where dragonfly recording has occurred over the last five years. While the chance of seeing a Beaver is slim, you will be able to see the incredible work they have done along with the Odonata that inhabit the pools. To date 17 species have been recorded including Golden-ringed Dragonfly.
In the afternoon there should be the opportunity to go to Tranmire Bog for Keeled Skimmer.
Image: Keeled Skimmer by Dave Smallshire
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!
The Great UK WaterBlitz is a biannual campaign calling on everyone to go out and test the quality of their local freshwater including rivers, streams and lakes. This helps to build a national picture of water quality across the UK. The Great UK WaterBlitz is part of the ongoing FreshWater Watch citizen science monitoring programme.