JULY is Dragonfly Challenge Month
There's another reason why we chose this month as insect month: we wanted to help promote an interesting and important initiative – the British Dragonfly Society's Dragonfly Challenge. Dragonflies and damselflies are vital indicators to the health of our freshwaters, which has an implication to the health of our natural world as a whole.
During the month of July, the British Dragonfly Society is looking for people to take part in this citizen science programme. They are asking people to help them track six species of dragonfly. No experience is necessary and there’s a downloadable spotter sheet and even an app to help.
For more information, and details on how to take part, visit the British Dragonfly Society's website.
We love bees
Although some of the insects out this summer can cause pain and irritation – and some, like horseflies, have become a particular problem with the summer's heatwave – we really do depend on most of our species of insects for our very survival. Of particular importance is the humble bee, the most important pollinator – and like many insects, its numbers have been falling dramatically in recent years.
The main reasons for the decline in bee populations are habitat loss, climate change and the use of pesticides, according to Friends of the Earth, who encourage you to take part in the Great British Bee Count, and urge you to call on your local council to take steps to protect bees and other pollinators.