A crowdfunding campaign to support a Dragonfly: the Dark Spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma)

A project led by Tour du Valat, aiming to restore a temporary brackish pond in the Camargue—a key habitat for the survival of the rare and threatened Lestes macrostigma—has been selected by the new crowdfunding platform “Flamingo.eco.”

Flamingo, a new crowdfunding platform dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands, has just launched! This initiative seeks to raise awareness of these ecosystems while giving the public a chance to support concrete, high-impact environmental projects. The first project chosen by the platform is led by Philippe Lambret, project leader for dragonfly conservation at Tour du Valat.

Get involved in the conservation of Lestes macrostigma by joining Flamingo’s upcoming crowdfunding campaign

In the Camargue, the dragonfly Lestes macrostigma is now considered vulnerable. This heritage species relies on a very specific habitat: temporary brackish ponds. These dynamic wetlands, which naturally dry up in summer, are often mistakenly seen as degraded or lacking ecological value. As a result, many have been destroyed, along with the unique biodiversity they support.

To help preserve Lestes macrostigma, Tour du Valat is leading a restoration project for a temporary brackish pond at the Mas Neuf site, north of the Vaccarès lagoon. The goal is to recreate the ecological conditions needed for the species to reproduce, by restoring both its habitat and the plant it uses to lay its eggs: the sea club-rush (Bolboschoenus maritimus).

What specific actions will your support enable?

Act 1 – Rebuilding the Plant Habitat (2026–2027)

In spring 2026, sea club-rush bulbs will be transplanted into the target pond. Scientific monitoring will track the plant’s establishment, growth, and spread.

Act 2 – Reintroduction of Lestes macrostigma (2027–2029)

Once the vegetation is well established, stems containing L. macrostigma eggs will be introduced into the pond. Monitoring will focus on larval emergence, adult egg-laying behavior, and the initiation of a natural reproduction cycle to assess the success of the reintroduction.

Act 3 – Transfer and expansion (starting in 2029)

If successful, the method will be replicated at other sites across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie regions. The goal is also to evaluate whether this restoration protocol can be applied on a broader scale.

Act 4 – Knowledge Sharing and dissemination (2030)

All results will be compiled into a technical guide for conservation management, co-written with partners of the Plan National d’Actions en faveur des libellules. This reference document is intended to assist other managers of natural areas in similar efforts to restore and reintroduce dragonfly populations.