Performing Dragonfly surveys provides insights into the health and diversity of the dragonfly populations living within your site, whether that’s a nature reserve or a garden pond.

The more detailed the records you collect the better your understanding of the populations and how they utilise your site becomes. By carrying out these regular Site Monitoring surveys over subsequent years you can compare how populations change in correlation with habitat and other environmental factors. This, in turn, helps you to discern how populations react to habitat management activities, which you can then adapt to meet the needs of dragonfly species on site.

Monitoring Advice

Please note important information about your site, such as access and route information, on the site form. This will help ensure you survey the site in a similar manner during each visit, producing standardised results. This information will also be useful to future recorders who wish to monitor your site.

Register Your Site

If you are planning on carrying our regular surveys on your site (at least 3 times a year) please register your site. This will help us identify under-recorded areas and communicate with our recorders.

Register: Click here

The registration map is made up of 1km OS grid squares. Choose the square(s) that best cover the site you wish to survey. Try to survey all wetland areas within the square(s) you have selected.

 

Deregister: If you wish to give up a site you have registered please contact our Conservation Officer.

Site Evaluation

To determine whether your site is of local and national importance you will need to perform a Priority Site Assessment. Please refer to our Priority Site Assessment web page for guidance.

Monitoring Dragonfly Habitat

While some dragonflies can be found in a wide variety of wetland habitats, others species are more specific. Monitoring biological and environmental factors, such as vegetation structure and water quality, can help you understand the distribution of different Dragonfly species within your site, and design your habitat management plan around them.

Wetland Survey Guidance

Ponds

Freshwater Habitats Trust

Image by Odd Wellies, flickr

Lakes, ditches, river and canals

JNCC

Image by cattan2011, flickr

Peatland

Natural England

 

Image by Simon Swales

Examples

Need some inspiration? Have a look through some previous monitoring projects carried out by volunteers.