AFTER almost four years of hard work, volunteers at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust are starting to see their hard work pay off.

The trust launched a project that saw new ponds created at the trust's Lower Moor Farm complex near Cricklade to help dragonflies move more freely and start to populate others parts of the country.

Big numbers of dragon and damsel flies can now be seen across the Sandpool section of the site after ponds and scrapes have been created.

Sandpool was dug for gravel and then used as a landfill site before being acquired by the Trust in 2009. Since then a number of habitat enhancements have occurred, including the construction of new ponds and scrapes.

These ponds provide a link to the rest of Lower Moor Farm and into the Cotswold Water Park and allow species such as the hairy dragonfly, downy emerald and red-eyed damselfly opportunities to exploit new territories.

Working together with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, and with funding from the Hills Group via the Landfill Communities Fund, the aim of the project was to stop the decline and isolation of dragon and damsel fly populations in the county.

There are 34 species of dragon and damsel fly recorded in Wiltshire of which 20 are found at the Lower Moor Farm complex.

Wildlife corridors were created in order to encourage nationally important species such as the ruddy darter and the scarce and the declining downy emerald dragonflies to move more freely between Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

“The funding from Hills has allowed us to create dragonfly habitats and make links for species across the landscape," said Neil Pullen, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserves manager.

"This has been a great success and we want to continue the work. So over the winter volunteer work parties will help cut back and pollard willows and other vegetation growing around the ponds to ensure that dragonflies always have somewhere to lay their eggs.”

Isabel Clark, of the Gloucestershire trust, said: “We were so pleased to work with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust on this important project in Cotswold Water Park, creating new scrapes and ponds for the benefit of dragonflies and other species.

"It has been a great success, with reports of both the ruddy darter and migrant hawker at the new areas in subsequent years. This should aid the movement of the species in response to climate change and other environmental factors, which will subsequently contribute to their future conservation.”

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is welcoming volunteers to join them to help provide habitat for dragonflies and other wildlife on their regular monthly volunteer sessions. They meet on the first Sunday of the month from 10.30am at the Lower Moor Farm visitor centre.

No experience is necessary just a passion for helping wildlife. Tea, coffee biscuits, gloves, training all provided during the sessions.