By GABRIELLE SHIOZAWA
Moapa Valley Progress
“The reason we’re all here today, is to learn about dragonflies!” said Ranger Barbara Michel.
Michel, a representative of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, first visited the Moapa Valley Library in Overton last November. Then she delivered an engaging presentation on desert wildlife.
While working at the local nature reserves in Moapa and Pahranagat, Michel is seeking to expand the number of outreach programs she conducts in order to benefit the community.
On Friday, she returned to the library and was met by a roomful of excited children who were teeming with questions and observations about the subject of the day: dragonflies.
“What do you know about dragonflies?” Michel asked.
“They can fly really high!” said one participant.
“They’re the fastest insect in the world,” chimed in another.
“They can be lots of different colors!” offered a third.
Michel went on to explain the life cycle of a dragonfly, using a song to help the kids remember:
“The dragonfly nymph swims in water when she’s young,
Then one day, she crawls up towards the sun.
Her back splits open, and a dragonfly comes out,
Then it flies, flies, flies all about!”
Michel also touched on such topics as the best habitat for dragonflies (wetlands, such as the local wildlife refuges) and the differences between dragonflies and damselflies (dragonflies hold their wings out perpendicularly when they rest, whereas damselflies fold their wings up atop their backs). Throughout the presentation, she was met by an engaged, eager audience with an insatiable curiosity.
At the end of the presentation, the kids were invited to design their own dragonflies out of clothespins, googly eyes, rhinestones, and pipe cleaners.
The local staff of the USFWS feature programs for people of all ages. Upcoming activities include Junior Refuge Ranger Day at Ash Meadows on March 3, Carp Rodeo at Pahranagat on April 28, and Snakes Alive! At Pahranagat on March 10. More information can be found at www.fws.gov/refuge/moapa_valley.
