Participate in Carden Alvar's 13th Annual Dragonfly Count! By joining this year's Dragonfly Count, volunteers will help collect important inventory data and assist in the critical long-term monitoring of Carden Alvar. Observe the glittering jewels that are dragonflies and damselflies while learning more about the rich diversity of the Carden Alvar.
And so it came to be that before sunrise on Saturday, July 18, I packed my camera and my lunch and began the three-hour drive to Carden Alvar with a coworker to meet more than 20 Conservation Volunteers. We would be spending the day with dedicated naturalist Bob Bowles, founder of Kids for Turtles Environmental Education and facilitator of this event since it began in 1997. Located near Orillia, the Carden Alvar is home to more than 32 species of damselfly and 76 species of dragonfly.
Armed with nets, checklists, identification books and maps, four teams left the Carden Alvar Recreation Centre after receiving directions and tips for the day from Bob and NCC's Conservation Biologist in the Ontario Region, Kristyn Ferguson.
A Hagen's Bluet damselfly (Photo by NCC)
First Stop: Lake Dalrymple Our first stop was not far from the recreation centre next to Lake Dalrymple. Here, simply stepping up to the roadside vegetation's edge kicked our day off with a swarm of recently transformed (from the aquatic nymph stage) Hagen's Bluets. These stunning damselflies were flitting about in great numbers along with some Eastern Forktail damselflies and the odd dragonfly. In this video, Bob explains why the damselflies were so abundant at this particular location.
Dragonfly or damselfly? The identification of the species we found got easier as we picked up some useful tips and tricks. The first was distinguishing between a dragonfly and a damselfly. Damselflies are generally quite slim and dainty in comparison to the more robust dragonflies, but the key is all in their large eyes. Dragonflies have eyes that touch each other. Damselfy eyes are set apart on each side of the head. These large eyes come in handy for dragonflies and damselflies, collectively referred to as odonates, helping them navigate. In this video, Bob helps two first-time volunteers identify a damselfly with an identification key.
Catch and release The annual counts contribute valuable long-term data on odonate numbers, which can alert us to changes or problems in the local environment. If a previously abundant species suddenly drops off the count, scientists know to look into the species' habitat. It may be the odonate's prey has disappeared; perhaps local water quality has been affected; or it could be that changes in climate have caused species to move elsewhere. But odonates are an integral part of local ecosystems, so we must ensure that the counts don't harm them or negatively impact local populations. As Bob explains in this video, the catch and safe release of odonates is an essential part of these annual counts.
This female White-faced Meadowhawk was found enjoying a meal near a meadow (Photo by NCC)
Different habitats, different odonates During the day, our team moved to several different locations. From shrubby grassland and meadow alvars to river banks and wetlands, each new location allowed us to discover a different suite of odonates. In meadows and grasslands (all near water), dragonflies such as White-faced Meadowhawk and Halloween Pennant were the main find. At the riverside, Ebony Jewelwings and Twelve-spotted Skimmers abounded. The wetland brought out Common Whitetail. By the end of the day our team had found more than 30 species of odonates and we headed back to share our finds with the other teams.
Concrete results At five o'clock, all four teams reported back to the recreation centre for the final tally. It became a friendly competition to see which team found what and how many, and many laughs and stories were shared. In the end, we found a collective 42 species of odonates — one fewer than the previous record of 43 species in 2002, and five more than at the 2008 count. Spreadwing damselfly and Darner dragonfly numbers were found to be down from last year. They were possibly delayed from the cold, wet spring. Overall though, numbers were good, with Ebony Jewelwing, Hagen's Bluet and White-faced Meadowhawk leading the species counts. Now this data can be compared with previous years' data, and shared throughout Ontario to help identify patterns, changes and, possibly, warning signs.
A great day At 15 hours, including travel time, it was a long day. But I couldn't help smiling on the drive home at what was not only a successful event but a fun one, where first-time volunteers enthusiastically committed to signing up for next year's count, and old hats built new skills and shared their knowledge with others.
Bob Bowle's helps a first time volunteer key out the odonate she captured in her net (photo by NCC)
Thank you This amount of data could not be collected without the support of dedicated volunteers, from our expert leaders to our first-time dragonfly hunters. Conservation Volunteers help us to accomplish what staff alone could not. The work that volunteers do accomplishes necessary activities as identified in our land management plans, while giving volunteers an opportunity to learn about new species and habitats across Ontario and Canada. Thank you to all of our Conservation Volunteers from this and all of our events.
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