Launch of the first campaign on the Flamingo.eco platform, entitled “Dragonfly seeks pond!”, supports a project led by the Tour du Valat in favor of an endangered dragonfly species.
In France, nearly one-third of dragonflies are endangered. The large-stigma damselfly (Lestes macrostigma), a rare species, is seeing its chances of survival diminish as its natural habitat—temporary brackish ponds—disappears. For this species, the preservation of wetlands is vital. The project carried out on the Mas Neuf pond, in the heart of the Camargue, aims to restore this pond as a sustainable breeding ground and test a “recipe” that can be replicated on a large scale.
The various stages planned
To validate a restoration method, it is necessary to test, observe, and adjust. You can contribute to this decisive step! Here is a description of the different stages of the project, if we manage to obtain the necessary funds.
ACT 1 (€8,500): Transplant bulbs of sea club rush, the preferred plant of L. macrostigma, and monitor its colonization in the pond.
ACT 2 (€8,400): Introduce L. macrostigma eggs using a technique that proved successful in 2020, then study the colonization by this dragonfly, particularly its use of bulrushes during egg laying.
ACT 3 (€6,200): Repeat the pilot experiment in new ponds in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie, monitoring the females’ egg-laying activity in the bulrushes.
ACT 4 (€4,200): Roll out the method on a large scale!
In short
To validate a method, you have to test, observe, and adjust: crowdfunding can enable this restoration project to take this decisive step.
It is thanks to your support that the project will be able to prove itself—and apply for more ambitious European funding, such as the European LIFE program!
👉 To be among the first supporters, click here: Flamingo | Dragonfly seeks pond! ! [1]
🙏 Even a small donation counts (and remember, it is 66% tax deductible, and you will receive a small gift with each donation to thank you for your commitment: books, box sets, art posters, meetings with researchers, guided tours, weekends in the Camargue…)
Please feel free to spread the word, promote it to your friends, and contribute to this wonderful project!