About Us
Project Lead: Kurt Mead
contact at:
info@mndragonfly.org
Interim Coordinator: Dianne Rowse
contact at: dianne@mndragonfly.org
Introduction to the Project
Dragonflies have been used as indicator species for assessing habitat and water quality in a variety of wetlands, riparian forests, and lakeshore habitats around the world. Scientists in Europe, Japan and the U.S. have had good success in establishing citizen monitoring networks to collect data for regional or national dragonfly surveys and environmental monitoring projects. Minnesota is widely known by Odonatologists across North America as an under surveyed region. This combined with the uniquely diverse habitats afforded by Minnesota’s geography make this state a virtual “wild west” of dragonfly and damselfly study. Minnesota is at the edge of many Odonate species’ known distributions, making this work relevant to researchers working all across North America. Teachers, school groups, nature societies, birding groups and other interested citizens groups or individual volunteers will be recruited for these projects. Monitoring guides will be made available to recruits so that data is recorded and specimens are collected according to survey standards. Over the course of several years, the data and specimens collected will result in the ability to compile a Minnesota dragonfly atlas as well as to contribute to an international database. Inspired by the success of many dragonfly surveys now underway throughout North America, we have decided that it is high time to initiate a dragonfly survey here.