New Guide To Devon’s Dragonflies
Dave Smallshire, Country Dragonfly Recorder for Devon, and co-author of ‘Britain’s Dragonflies: A Field Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland‘, has produced a new free guide to Dragonflies in Devon, which you can download by following the link below. Dave will also be speaking at this year’s BDS Spring Meeting…
BDS bids farewell to Chris Iles and welcomes new CDRs
Chris Iles, after many, many years dedicated to the role of County Dragonfly Recorder for Somerset (Vice Counties 5 and 6), is stepping down. The BDS thanks him for all his hard work, which has made a significant contribution to the conservation of dragonflies in Somerset. Taking over his role are Chris Cardno and Jon…
Monmouthshire 2030 Dragonfly Atlas Project Update
Monmouthshire County Dragonfly Recorder Steve Preddy reflects on how the Monmouthshire 2030 Dragonfly Atlas Project is going now that it has reached the halfway point. The project update also provides a view of what’s to come this 2025 dragonfly season and how you can get involved. Read the 2025 project update here Image: Common…
Shropshire Hills Upland Dragonflies Project update
The BDS would like to thank Shropshire County Dragonfly Recorder Sue Rees Evans for her hard working setting up the Shropshire Hills Upland Dragonflies Project, as well as all those who participated in the project last year. Sue has been working with volunteers to survey key dragonfly species in the Shropshire Hills AONB, in particular…
Book Review – Dragonfly Behavior – Discovering the Dynamic Life of an Ancient Order of Insects by Georg Ruppell and Dagmar Hilfert-Ruppell – Springer 2024
For those members of the British Dragonfly Society who were lucky enough to see and hear Georg and Dagmar speak at past members days will remember the incredible high speed films of dragonflies in flight and the many intricate aspects of their behaviour unseen by the naked eye. This new publication now brings this together…
Petition against use of pollinator-killing pesticide successful
Emergency authorisation to use Cruiser SB, a pesticide containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, to treat sugar beet seeds in England, will not be granted in 2025. The use of the product has previously been allowed in order to combat virus yellows, a plant disease, by killing the aphids that carry it, against the advice of the…
Great Wheal Seton, Cornwall – Wildlife Habitat on the Edge
By Steve Jones Cornwall County Dragonfly Recorder The Red River Valley Local Nature Reserve near Camborne in Cornwall is a 3-mile-long wildlife corridor that has developed along the abandoned tin streaming sites that once dominated the landscape of the area. The best areas of the reserve not only provide a haven for some nationally important…
Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI saved as theme park project scrapped
The High Court has ordered the company behind the project, the London Resort Company Holdings Ltd (LRCH) to wind up after a judge deemed it had breached a payment agreement with its creditors. The £3.5bn London Resort theme park was to be located on Swanscombe Peninsula, a rich and diverse landscape home to over 200…
Norwich Western Link project application withdrawn
The Norwich Western Link project, proposed by Norfolk County Council, would connect the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) to the A47 with the aim of reducing traffic congestion. The BDS supported ‘The Stop Wensum Link’ group due to the potentially harmful impact the project could have on the River Wensum. The proposed four-lane highway would cross…
New Vacancy – Events Officer
Job title: Events Officer Reporting to: Development and Operations Manager Responsible for: Managing programme of events and engagement activities Hours: Part-time (22.5 hours a week worked flexibly). Fixed Term contract for 8 months (ideally March-October) to provide maternity cover. With weekend events and time off in lieu. Salary: £26,088 pro rata Location: The post will…