Living fossils, dragonflies and damselflies are part of the most ancient group of insects on this planet. Orginating over 300 million years ago, at a time when Britains climate was subtropical and the vegtation very different from today's, the dragonflies and damselflies would have looked quite familar to us.
In the last Fifty years the landscape has changed with the advent of intensive agriculture. Many dragonflies and damselflies have been unable to cope with destruction of their wetland habitats through the neglect of farm ponds, underground drainage or pollution form pesticides, fertilisers and industrial as well as household waste.Aditionally our towns and cities have spread out across the land and in urban areasrun off from roads pollutes rivers and streams. For those species dependant on acid wetland s the situation is even worse, with the destruction of peat bogs for garden peat.
To learn more about dragonflies and damselflies and why your pond is important to them check out the resources below.....