About this Event
These training days are designed for all those with a desire to learn how to identify stunning damselflies and dragonflies.
Aimed at beginners we hope to introduce you close-up to a number of dragonflies and damselflies so that you will leave confident in your own abilities to identify them and make species records.
Ideally participants will attend session 1 (25/06/24) and session 2 (07/08/24) to build a firm foundation for recording dragonflies and damselflies in the local area. Please see our Eventbrite profile for session 1
Course outline - Kingsbury Water Park, 07/08/24
The two identification days will follow a similar format. The morning will be spent in the classroom and the afternoon in the field.
10.00 – lecture and interactive workshop
12.30 – lunch
1.30 – netting and identification of damselflies & dragonflies on site
4.00 – end
NB. Should bad weather prevail the field identification afternoon will be replaced with an input on the fascinating lifecycle of dragon and damselflies and an identification quiz!
Session 2 - Kingsbury - Following a similar format to session 1 but focusing on dragonflies and taking place at a different location, Kingsbury. Different species fly at different times of the year so this later date may also enable us to see new damselfly species in addition to focusing on dragonflies. This second session will conclude with an explanation of how to use these skills to make biological species records.
Tutor: Sue Rees Evans
Sue Rees Evans is the Shropshire County recorder for Dragonflies and Damselflies and the Odonata Tsar for the Shropshire Ecological Data Network. Sue has also written and manages the Shropshire Dragonflies website which serves as an online atlas and hosts the Shropshire Dragonfly Watch flight season blog. With a real enthusiasm for hands on teaching, Sue has taught numerous courses on Dragonfly and Damselfly identification over the last 11 years for the Field Studies Council, various Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and numerous projects such as Biolinks, Invertebrate Challenge and Cold-blooded and Spineless.
What to bring:
Morning: Notebook and pen and any dragonfly ID guides if owned
Afternoon: Drink, packed lunch, waterproofs and suitable footwear for walking around sites, sun cream, EpiPen if owned, X10 hand lens if owned, close focus binoculars if owned, camera if you wish.
For those who wish, the latest ‘Field Guide to the damselflies and dragonflies of Britain and Ireland’ by D. Smallshire & A. Swash will be available for purchase at £17.95 (NB. correct cash/cheque only)
Access and parking:
Parking for Kingsbury Water Park is charged at £4.95.
Please meet by the Visitor Centre
For more information contact Helen King: 07464486827 or [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Kingsbury Water Park, Bodymoor Heath Lane, Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00