On September 16, 2020, Dr. Sarah J. Nelson, Director of Research, Appalachian Mountain Club presented, "Dragonfly Mercury Project: Citizen Science at Work in Our National Parks.”

Learn how dragonflies are helping to detect mercury in our wetlands and how citizen scientists and researchers are improving our world!

We all know dragonflies are amazing insects, but their larvae are also helping our national parks here in Virginia and across America! Dragonflies live in bodies of water all across our country and you’re probably most familiar with them as the luminescent-winged, elongated-bodied adults that zoom across the water’s surface. However, you probably didn’t realize that dragonflies spend most of their life underneath the water’s surface as larvae.

Dragonfly larvae eat a lot of smaller insects and even small fish. Because of their diverse diet these tiny creatures serve as an incredibly effective biomonitoring tool to help researchers detect mercury levels in water and learn about other potential risks to wildlife and human health. Come learn about these fascinating insects and find out how citizen scientists are providing valuable data to researchers to help improve our world.

Learn more at:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/SixLeggedScoutsInTheNationalParks

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