Annual Meeting Establishes 2014 Goals

On February 19 ^th and 20^th, 13 members of the MDP steering committee met in Austin, Texas to discuss the events of the past year, report on ongoing research projects, examine data, and brainstorm new ideas for 2014. It was truly gratifying to see the way the project has grown in just two years, and to visualize the data collected by hard-working MDP volunteers and project partners. You'll see the complete details in our Annual Report to Volunteers, which will arrive in your inboxes in a month or so, but in the meantime, here are just a few highlights:

Over twice as many records were submitted to the MDP website in 2013 compared to 2012, and the number of migration reports increased by 700%.
Ability to correctly identify dragonfly species remains the greatest concern expressed by MDP volunteers.
Although large numbers of migrating Common Green Darners were seen along the Atlantic coast of the US in fall 2013, the majority of migrants observed in SE Mexico by Pronatura Veracruz partners were Wandering Gliders and Spot-Winged Gliders, with no large flights of Common Green Darner.
Northward movement of Common Green Darners occurs earlier in the spring in the east compared to the west.
Stable isotope analysis of wing samples indicates that Common Green Darners may continue to move northward from Gulf Coast states even into the late summer months.
3D virtual image of a Common Green Darner exuvia added to the website to assist in identification.

3D VIRTUAL EXUVIA IMAGE

Common Green Darner (Anax junius)

New developments to look for in 2014 include:

Video tutorials to help you learn how to collect and submit data to the MDP website
Online identification quizzes and tutorials
Online short course training modules
A guide to identifying, photographing, collecting, and preserving exuviae of Common Green Darners
Spanish language versions of the MDP field guide and portions of the website
Changes to the data entry pages to make them easier to use and navigate
Guidelines for installing dragonfly pond habitat in your own backyard
Additional short courses and workshops

These changes will be implemented throughout the coming year, but don't wait--the 1st day of spring is only 3 weeks away. Returning Variegated Meadowhawks and Common Green Darners have already been noted in California and Common Green Darners and Wandering Gliders are flying in Florida. Data collected across multiple years will help us assess the effects of weather on the timing of spring migration, so as the Polar Vortex begins to loosen its icy grip, it's critically important to start scanning the skies for those first-of-the-year sightings, and break a trail to your Pond Watch site to record the presence (or absence!) of our focal migratory species. Thank you for joining us in another year of migratory dragonfly watching!

WE NEED YOUR DATA!

Did you witness a migration event or observe one of our 5 focal species at your local pond? Please submit your observations to the MDP website.

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS!

Please share photos and stories of your dragonfly adventures. Email your stories, photos of dragonflies, or photos of people in action observing dragonflies. We'll include as many photos or stories as we can in future Annual Reports & e-newsletters.

DRAGONFLY ID GUIDES

Spring is around the corner! Make sure you have the necessary resources to identify dragonflies at your local pond.

Field Guide to Migratory Dragonflies

Dragonflies & Damselflies of the East

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Photo Credits: Banner: Darner exuvia, by Alexa Carleton
Side bar: Common Green Darner ovipositing, by Walter Chadwick, citizen science volunteer;
Field Guide cover photos, both by Greg Lasley; In Text: Common Green Darner exuvia, by John Abbott

Migratory Dragonfly I Partnership 628 NE Broadway, Suite 200 I Portland, OR 97232 USA