Odonate Monitoring

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum runs the Illinois Odonate Survey (IOS) to keep tabs on our dragonfly and damselfly friends, which flock to the Urban Rivers floating wetlands each summer. There's been talk in previous years of having the 3 major Urban Rivers floating wetland locations be valid observation sites that can be traversed in paddlecraft while monitoring. If some of our volunteers are interested in becoming IOS monitors at those sites, we want to support them.

Monitors generally work in teams of two. At the Wild Mile, it should be easy to provide kayaks and observation materials so it gets the required 6 to 8 observation sessions between Memorial Day weekend and September 15.  At River Park, we do have 2 kayaks, paddles, and life jackets in a locker, but that locker is on the top row and very hard to reach. Bubbly Creek might only be possible if a couple volunteers in the neighborhood have their own paddlecraft, but we should have some kayaks there for a while most Friday afternoons.

To become an IOS monitor, you simply need to fill out this form, and then sign up to attend one of these 4 zoom workshops:
Wednesday, March 18th, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Sunday, April 19th, 9:30am - 12:00pm
Wednesday, May 13th, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Sunday, May 24th, 9:30am - 12:00pm

To learn the specific ins and outs of monitoring at our sites by kayak, Mac (one of our wonderful volunteers), has offered to host both an in-person and virtual training session.  
Saturday, April 25th - 12:00 to 1:30 pm - In person at the Wild Mile
Tuesday, April 28th - 6:00 to 7:00 pm - Virtual (we will email the link to everyone who is signed up) 

Mac has also assembled these very accessible resources to help people get started identifying dragonflies and damselflies. 

Photo credit for that eastern amberwing: Thomas Valentino