SEPTEMBER 15, 2012 9:00-3:00
Grange Insurance Audubon Center
505 W. Whittier Street
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 545-5475
Post by Jim McCormac, http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/
A stunning female Autumn Meadowhawk,
Sympetrum vicinum, regards your blogger with her inscrutable, beautiful bicolored eyes.
Dragonflies and damselflies - the Order Odonata - are among the world's
most successful insects. They're on every continent but Antarctica, and
have outlasted the dinosaurs. "Odes" are also aesthetically stunning,
masters of flight, and rabid predatory carnivores. What's not to like?
On Saturday, September 15, the
Midwest Native Plant Society and
Grange Insurance Audubon Center
(GIAC) will be hosting a workshop entitled: "Dragonflies and
Damselflies: the fascinating world of Odonata". It'll take place at the
gorgeous new GIAC, from 9 am until 3 pm. The cost is only 30 smackers,
and that includes lunch. To register, just pop off an email to GIAC's
own Ann Balogh at abalogh@audubon.org or ring her up at 614-545-5481.
We'll learn lots about these interesting six-legged beasts, because two
experts will be in the house and delivering their characteristically
interesting and informative PowerPoints. There'll also be a third
speaker - me - and I'll do my best to offer up a potpourri of
informative dragon info. There's some nice wetlands and a huge river
right outside the center's doors, and we'll hit those habitats to find
some of these critters in the flesh.
That's a male eastern pondhawk,
Erythemis simplicicollis, above.
Don't EVER come back as a bug and get yourself in the crosshairs of one
of these. It'll snap you up and eat you. Pondhawks, gram for gram, are
among the most brutish predators on earth.
This animal, which at least in the coloration department looks nothing
like the other pondhawk, is indeed a pondhawk of the same species. Many
species of dragonflies are dimorphic - the males and females look quite
different, just as with some birds. Fortunately a true Odonata Master,
Bob Glotzhober of the
Ohio Historical Society,
will be at the workshop. Bob's got a great talk on the basics of
dragonfly identification, which also covers lots of other basics about
damsels and dragons. Bob literally wrote
THE BOOK.
This plant, and others of its ilk, are VERY important for dragonfly
reproduction. I'm going to talk mostly about finding dragonflies and the
various habitats that various species frequent, and touch on the
ecological roles that they play, including plants that are ode-friendly.
I'll also throw in tips about how to photograph these often flighty
insects once you've got them in your sights. Getting up close and
personal with an insect that can see in nearly every direction
simultaneously, and far better than you do, can be a challenge.
This calico pennant,
Celithemis elisa, is a true showstopper and
epitomizes the artistic beauty of these animals. Small wonder the
Odonata have inspired many an artist.
Janet Creamer of the
Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department,
is also on the slate and I know that the beauty of these insects has
inspired her to delve into the mysteries of the Odonata. Janet is a
naturalist's naturalist, and a wonderful presenter. She knows tons about
the subject at hand and will deliver a fun fact-filled presentation
about the intriguing and lesser known aspects of dragonflies.
My, what eyes you have! If you come, I will guarantee that you'll see
many an image like this. Between the three of us who will be taking the
lectern, we've got scads of cool shots. We'll romp through about all of
the common damselfly and dragonfly species that occur in Ohio, and
hopefully offer up a good overview. This show is geared towards
beginning and intermediate enthusiasts, and none of us will get overly
technical.
Photography has hugely enhanced my appreciation of the Odonata, and
pursuing these bugs with a lens has helped me to learn far more about
their habits and habitats. I'm not suggesting that you wade in to the
wetlands shoulder deep - I'll do it for you, and share the results!
If you have an interest in dragonflies, I think you'll enjoy this
workshop, and I hope that you can make it. Again, to register just email
or call Ann Balogh at abalogh@audubon.org or 614-545-5481.
http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2012/08/dragonfly-symposium-september-15.html
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