The Cotswold Water Park

The CWP Dragonfly Atlas Project is being launched in 2008, in partnership with the Gloucestershire and Wiltshire County recorders, and with the National Dragonfly Atlas Project (NDAP).

A launch event will be held on Sunday 4^th May 2008 at Lower Moor Farm (Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve), near Oaksey in the CWP.

For further information, see  the CWP dragonfly atlas page.

The CWP supports over 20 species of dragonfly, including breeding species such as  Downy Emerald, White-legged Damselfly and Lesser Emperor. Comprising 40 square miles of wetland within the Upper Thames Valley and including 147 lakes, plus reed beds, willow carr and over 200km of rivers & streams, the area undoubtedly supports large populations of many species.

The project will run for 5 years; at the end of the project, all data will be published as the first ever Cotswold Water Park Dragonfly Atlas, the first time that our dragonfly fauna has been systematically studied in such depth.

We are looking for competent dragonfly observers to assist with these surveys, to take responsibility for surveys within a tetrad. Help and guidance will be given and landowners will be contacted for you.  We will be organising some training events during the spring for interested observers. The first surveys will begin during April and May, so its not too late to sign up!

For further details on the CWP Dragonfly Atlas Project and the launch event in May, please see the website as above or contact Gareth Harris, Biodiversity Officer, Cotswold Water Park Society at this Email or tel: 01793 752413.