Whisby Nature Park, just outside Lincoln, will join a handful of other sites in England to receive the accolade of being a ‘Dragonfly Hotspot’. Visitors are invited to join the celebrations on Saturday 31 July from 11am to 3pm. A team of dragonfly experts and enthusiasts will be on hand to help everyone learn more about these fascinating insects. There will be guided walks, information displays, dragonfly and damselfly larvae on display and free craft activities for all ages to enjoy.

Grahame Hopwood, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s Warden at Whisby Nature Park, said:
“We are extremely proud that Whisby Nature Park is receiving this recognition. It’s an important site for a wide range of wildlife and the diversity of dragonflies and damselflies really illustrates this.”

Fiona McKenna, Conservation Outreach Officer, British Dragonfly Society said:
“Whisby Nature Park is a wonderful place for dragonflies. Working together with the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, we hope we can inspire people to find out more about these amazing insects and get involved with their conservation.”

Dragonfly Hotspots are special places, carefully chosen because they support a good variety of dragonfly and damselfly species, are easy to access, and can provide opportunities for local communities to get involved with dragonfly conservation and events.

An incredible 23 species of damselflies and dragonflies have been recorded at Whisby Nature Park from the impressive 8cm long emperor dragonfly to the diminutive blue-tailed damselfly. The diversity is due to the variety of lakes, ponds and running water at Whisby, which make this former site of sand and gravel workings a haven for dragonflies and damselflies.