The National Forest for Wales
National Forest for Wales is a unique project aiming to create a nationwide network of publically accessible woodlands and forests. This will including creating new woodlands, as well as restoring existing ones, for the benefit of wildlife and the wellbeing of communities. You can become part of the project and receive a free native tree … Continued
Q&A with Dr Matt Geary
We hope you all enjoyed our Annual meeting on 27 November. Attendees had lots of questions for speaker Dr Matt Geary on his talk about White-faced Darter genetics. Here are his answers. . . Caroline: Re low recapture rate – could they have just flown elsewhere/dispersed rather than not survived? Or do they tend … Continued
We’ve won the John Sawyer NBN Open Data Award 2021!
The BDS has won the National Biodiversity Network Trust’s John Sawyer NBN Open Data Award 2021. The award is given to organisations that make a significant contribution to open biodiversity data in the UK and are committed to working towards the NBN’s vision of “collecting and sharing wildlife data openly to educate and inform”. Since … Continued
Good bye Birdfair
The BDS team was saddened to hear that Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) will no longer run the annual Birdfair staged at Rutland Water Nature Reserve. This is due to financial strains the charity is currently facing, which is partly the result of the pandemic. The event has run for over 30 years and … Continued
Langholm Moor Community Buyout Project looks to double nature reserve size
In 2020 the Langholm Initiative charity came to an agreement with Buccleuch Estates to buy 5,200 acres of Langholm Moor and Tarras Valley, south Scotland, for £3.8m. This was achieved, thanks to the collective effort of members of the public and volunteers, as well as a variety of wildlife agencies and organisations, who helped them … Continued
Study shows neonicotinoid water pollution drives decline in dragonfly emergence
While the impacts of neonicotinoids on pollinators have been widely publicised and condemned, evidence is growing that these agricultural chemicals are having similar consequences for aquatic invertebrates. In a recent study by the University of California, aquatic insect larvae populations were grown in outdoor pools and exposed to different levels of thiacloprid (insecticide) pollution. As … Continued
UK Wildlife Podcast ~ State of Dragonflies
In the latest episode of the UK Wildlife Podcast, host Neil Phillips chats to BDS Officer Eleanor Colver about the results of State of Dragonflies 2021, and what they mean for the future of British species. Listen to the full episode here.
Willow Emerald Watch Project Report 2021
Thank you to everyone who submitted Willow Emerald Damselfly sightings. Here are the results of your hard work. . . Once again, Willow Emeralds had a good year, with numerous records from both traditional and new areas; 496 records have currently appeared on iRecord (as of 7/10/21), with many more likely to be submitted by … Continued
Autumn Meeting Booking Now Open!
Autumn Meeting booking is now open We warmly invite all dragonfly fans to join us for a day of fascinating talks about our rarer species and their conservation. Our meeting will take place online on Saturday 27th November from 9.30 am – 4.30 pm (with plenty of breaks and chances to chat). As always our … Continued