Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
AREA RESIDENTS take a look at a display table and talk with naturalist Licia Johnson, right, of the North Lakeland Discovery Center. Johnson set up the table with info and samples of dragonflies at the Mercer Library, following a Knowledge at Noon presentation on the insect. From left are Mary Ray of Manitowish Waters, Kathy Kieper of Mercer, and Mike Meyers of Mercer.
By CHARITY SMITH
MERCER, Wis. - The North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters brought its Knowledge at Noon program series to the Mercer Library on Wednesday, for a presentation on dragonflies.
The annual series covers a variety of topics on the first Wednesday of each month from December through May with a presentation at a different location in the discovery center's region.
This presentation discussed how dragonflies function, their importance, and how they differ from other similar insects.
Licia Johnson, a naturalist and the NLDC's education director, said dragonflies differ from other insects because their wings are directly attached to the muscles of their thorax. About 30 people attended the presentation in the community center room.
"I do a lot of programs with kids looking at nymphs - the immature form of insects with simple metamorphosis - and stuff, and we do a lot of canoe trips and people are just always fascinated with dragonflies," said Johnson. "They're just so fascinating. They are an insect, but they are just so much more than a regular insect. Just the way their wings move and the fact that they are an indicator species. If we see them it's a good sign, we've got good clean water ... that tells us, just by being there, that we live in a healthy landscape that's pretty awesome."
Johnson said that she has a lot of people ask about dragonflies. She said they are an easily recognized insect, but people don't know too much about them. She said they are very interesting and have a lot of adaptations.
Johnson said it's fun to teach people about the creatures and plants in their world.
"I love to inspire people," said Johnson. "They maybe go to a program learn a few things, get really into it, maybe start identifying what they have around them."
She said as people start to recognize species that are around them, they'll also started noticing when they aren't around, as well.
"If more people pay attention to the natural world around them over time, we will sense changes that can tell us the health of an area and anything else that is going on," said Johnson.
Mary Ray, of Manitowish Waters, attended Wednesday's presentation. She said she has an interest in dragonflies and damselflies. "The more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know," she said.
Kathy Kieper of Mercer said she also learned a lot from the presentation.
The next session will be on turtles, on April 6 at the Franklin B. Kohler Memorial Library in Manitowish Waters.
