Steart Marshes becomes a designated dragonfly hotspot!
On Saturday 23 July Steart Marshes launched as a dragonfly hotspot!
Steart Marshes has been recognised by the British Dragonfly Society as a hotspot due to the number of species and suitability of the habitat, 21 species have been found on site so far and a variable damselfly even put in an appearance near the new information board.
Our launch event was a great success, starting with the unveiling of our new information board by dragonfly gurus Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash (pictured below with Nicole from the Steart team). They spoke to the assembled crowd about the importance of Steart Marshes as a hotspot location, led guided walks and were also available to talk about the latest edition of their jointly authored field guide ‘Britain’s Dragonflies’.
Events on the day included walks and talks, craft, pond dipping and a treasure hunt. Willow weaving to make dragonflies was so popular that we ran out of willow by the end of the day, so this is something we will definitely be offering again in the future. Ice-creams, samphire and wooden bowls made from Steart wood were sold in the car park and I’m pleased to say that many people had a first taste of our marsh samphire for their dinner Saturday night!
A busy day with visitors, experts and volunteers from WWT and the British Dragonfly Society (BDS) enjoying the activities and learning opportunities on offer. We are proud to be a designated BDS dragonfly hotspot!
