Voting for The British Dragonfly Society

The British Dragonfly Society are a small volunteer-led membership charity. They work across the whole of England and Scotland to conserve dragonflies, damselflies and the wetland habitats they rely upon. They achieve a lot with their limited resources thanks to their small but specialist staff team and their network of dedicated volunteers.

Two species of British dragonfly have become extinct in the last 60 years, and with over one third of current species considered rare or threatened, there is an urgent need to protect them. 

Dragonflies and damselflies are used as ‘Indicator’ species, meaning that if they are doing well it is an indication that the wider ecosystem is also doing well. And if they are declining then we know there must be wider problems in the ecosystem. They are an important food source for many species and in turn they eat many ‘pest’ species such as midge and mosquito larvae.

They work with scientists to record and understand the requirements of different species of dragonfly and damselfly. From their learnings they then work with landowners, nature reserve managers and volunteers to put their findings into practice. This includes creating new habitat that dragonflies and damselflies will love, managing existing habitats to make them more suitable and reintroducing species to areas where they once thrived.

Their aim is to engage more people with dragonflies, through our work with schools and other partners, and with an active nationwide events programme. They want to get more people appreciating, identifying and recording these enigmatic creatures. Why not have a go at finding and identifying a few species yourself and take part in their ‘Dragonfly Challenge’ this July!

To find out more about this incredible charity, visit The British Dragonfly Society Website.