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The complex environmental issues raised during the annual April celebration of Earth Day may make you throw up your hands and say, "What can one person do that makes a difference?". When it comes to increasing our understanding of our planet's biology, one person CAN make a big difference - especially if that person is a citizen scientist. Data collected by citizen scientist volunteers has increased our understanding of changes in species ranges, bud burst timing, and precipitation patterns, and discovered new populations of organisms thought to be extinct or even new species. The Migratory Dragonfly Partnership relies on citizen scientists to help us collect data needed to understand dragonfly migration in North America.
To give volunteers the tools they need, the MDP is offering more Migratory Dragonfly Short Courses in 2013. We are rolling out four spring events just in time for the arrival of migrant dragonflies moving back north throughout North America. The short courses educate participants about dragonflies and their migration and provide the resources and training they need to join other citizen scientists in monitoring and identifying dragonflies across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Anyone interested in helping us learn more about dragonfly migration can get involved by monitoring a local pond or wetland for Dragonfly Pond Watch, reporting fall and spring dragonfly migration events for Migration Monitoring, or submitting specimens for the Stable Isotope Project. Our hope is that participants walk away from trainings engaged and eager to contribute their time and observations to a long-term project of their choosing.
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You don't have to attend a short course to join us! No courses offered in your area? No problem! Identifying the five main migratory species in North America is easy to learn! Sign-up online and check out MDP resources to help you collect data for any of our three projects, and contribute to initiatives that are unraveling the mysteries of dragonfly migration and supporting efforts to identify and preserve the wetland habitats which these and other key aquatic organisms rely.
Thank you to our citizen scientist
volunteers for dedicating your time
and effort to the study of
dragonfly migration!
MDP's Mission
The Migratory Dragonfly Partnership is composed of dragonfly experts, nongovernmental programs, academic institutions, and federal agencies from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Together, we are combining research, citizen science, and education and outreach to better understand North America's migrating dragonflies and promote conservation of their wetland habitat.
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