Natural England

Come and spot rare dragonflies on Fenn’s, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve near Wrexham and Whitchurch, to conclude Wales Bio-diversity Week. On the afternoon of Sunday 15 June members of the public can come on a guided walk on Fenn’s and Whixall Mosses, to see one of the best dragonfly populations in the Britain.

The event will start in England at 1.00 pm at Morris’s Bridge NNR car park, in Whixall (follow the brown Whixall Moss NNR signs), but will soon cross the border. The event is being run for Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales by dragonfly expert Pete Boardman of the field studies Council Bio-diversity Training Project. Booking is recommended.

The event is one of many events taking place in Wales Bio-diversity Week (7-15 June, www.biodiversitywales.org.uk), Join thousands of people across Wales and the Marches in celebrating our amazing variety of local wildlife! Anyone attending and making a pledge to protect biodiversity by carrying out simple actions such as reducing their waste, recycling, carrying out wildlife friendly gardening not using peat or saving energy, will receive a free Natural England Wildlife Gardening CD.

Natural England’s Site Manager Joan Daniels said “A good lake or pond in this area might have 12 or 13 different species of dragonflies and damselflies, the next best site in Shropshire has 18 species but the Mosses have 28 recorded species. And each year as Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales restore more of the Mosses, numbers here seem to be getting better and better”

Dragonflies are spectacular airborne insects, so well adapted to their environment that they haven’t changed their designs since prehistoric times. However only sixteen years ago, they nearly lost their home at Whixall due to drainage for intensive commercial peat cutting for gardening. Since 1991 the drained peat cuttings have been dammed to retain rain-water, the lifeblood of the Mosses. This has resulted in a massive explosion in numbers of dragonflies and damselflies.

Dragonflies live as nymphs in water for up to three years, and only emerge as flying adults for a few weeks to mate. On drained bogs which are being cut for peat, without pools of water, dragonflies become extinct. If people use alternatives to peat in their garden, they can not only save bogs, but lots of dragonflies as well.

Gladys Mary Coles, in her ‘Kingdom of Sphagnum’ section of ‘The Echoing Green’ collection of poetry, (Flambard Press 2001), described one of the most special dragonflies on the Mosses, the white-faced darter - “And out from sheltering sphagnum, lured by light/ they come on the glass of their wings,/ white-faced dragonflies whose faces shine/ resembling us at dusk.”

Joan Daniels, said “The public probably own more dragonflies here than anywhere else in Britain. And on this walk they may well see our rarest dragonfly the white-faced darter which lays its eggs in bogmoss. When we took over it was almost extinct on the site but now it has spread back out across the restored Mosses. This year we are seeing them on areas we have never seen them before. I hope lots of people come and see them and realize how wonderful peat bogs are and why it is important to save them.”

If you can’t make this walk, other events during Wales Bio-diversity Week can be found by visiting www.biodiversitywales.org.uk and other events during the year at Fenn’s & Whixall NNR can be found by visiting www.naturalengland.org.uk or www.ccw.gov.uk .

To book the dragonfly day and to get the instructions for it please ring Caroline Evans on 01743 282000 in the week (caroline.evans@naturalengland.org.uk) or Joan Daniels on 07974 784 799 evenings and weekends.

Notes for editors:

NATURAL ENGLAND

Natural England was established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Its purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development. www.naturalengland.org.uk

THE COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR WALES

The Countryside Council for Wales champions the environment and landscapes of Wales and its coastal waters as sources of natural and cultural riches, as a foundation for economic and social activity, and as a place for leisure and learning opportunities. We aim to make the environment a valued part of everyone's life in Wales. More information about our work is available on www.ccw.gov.uk

For further CCW information/ Welsh language interviews, contact Meinir Wigley, Public Relations Officer on 01686 613416. WALES BIODIVERSITY WEEK 7TH AND 15TH JUNE - GET CLOSER TO THE WONDERFUL WILDLIFE OF WALES! Wales Biodiversity Week is an annual week of wildlife-themed events that takes place annually all over Wales; this year's events run from the 7th to 15th June. The vast majority of events are free and deliver a positive message for biodiversity, raising awareness, enthusiasm and inspiration among the public. The events range from small and personal guided walks in nature reserves and towns to large fairs where thousands of people can learn about biodiversity and the environment.

For further information contact: Dr. J L Daniels, Telephone: 01948 880362, Email: joan.daniels@naturalengland.org.uk