Dragonfly-inspired nanotechnology in the fight against disease
After almost a year of dousing ourselves in hand sanitiser we are all well aware of the importance of disinfectants in the fight to control the spread of COVID-19. However, scientists at the Imperial College of London are investigating other means of killing pathogens without the use of harsh chemicals. Just like the COVID-19 virus,…
Top Hertfordshire Dragonfly Site Criminally Destroyed
Police and the Environment Agency are currently investigating the destruction of two protected ponds at Smallford Pits Local Wildlife Site near Saint Albans. Local residents were left aghast after discovering that the ponds at their treasured wildlife hotspot had been polluted, with either diesel or petrol, in December 2020. Earlier in September, of the same…
Pond Ponderings: Chapter One of My Pond Story by Carolyn Cooksey
Our Secretary Carolyn Cooksey is our newest Pond Ponderings writer. In chapter one of Carolyn’s pond story we hear about the creation of a garden pond at her new home in Huntingdonshire: Inspired by Fiona’s campaigns on ponds, in my Autumn 2019 update in Dragonfly News, I rather rashly committed to putting a pond…
Support the BDS while you shop on Amazon
Stock up on good karma while you shop with Amazon Smile. Select the British Dragonfly Society as your chosen charity and Amazon will donate a small percentage of your purchase to us! Competing for funding during the Covid pandemic has been tougher than ever so we’re grateful for every penny donated to help us continue…
Download “Dragonflies in Devon” by Dave Smallshire
Dave Smallshire, veteran County Dragonfly Recorder for Devon, has released a guide to the county’s Dragonflies, which you can download here, or from the Devon BDS page. The publication provides and in depth account of the county’s species as well as the history of dragonfly recording in Devon. Image by Richard Munckton
‘Ecological vandalism’ on the River Lugg
A mile of the River Lugg, near Kingsland, has been illegal bulldozed and straightened while the surrounding trees have been cut down. The River Lugg is designated a SSSI, site of special scientific interest, due to its high ecological value. The river support numerous species of dragonfly, as well as protected species such as Otter.…
Pond Ponderings: Only one year old and full of dragonflies!
An update from Pamela Styles on her fairly new pond in Wales: Now that we’ve reached the end of a summer that was very different than expected, I’m even more grateful for the wildlife pond in my garden than I was last year! I have spent immeasurable hours sitting beside it over the past…
Pesticide Pollution from Pet Flea Treatment Aquatic Invertebrates
A recent study from the University of Sussex found fipronil, a chemical mostly widely used in pet flea treatment, in 99% of a near 400000 water samples taken from 20 UK rivers. Imidacloprid, another pesticide found in pet flea treatment, was found in 66% of samples. Fipronil and imidacloprid are potent nerve agents that are…
Pesticides from salad crops polluting Southern Damselfly chalk streams
The Guardian has reported that a watercress plant run by Bakkavor is due to close at the end of this month after environmentalists from the Salmon & Trout Conservation Trust discovered it was polluting the Upper Itchen with neonicotinoid pesticides. The Itchen is a rare and protected chalk stream that is home to a wealth…
Fifth edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) released
“Humanity stands at a crossroads with regard to the legacy it leaves to future generations. Biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, and the pressures driving this decline are intensifying. None of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets will be fully met, in turn threatening the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and undermining efforts to…