Dakota County Parks

General Description

Do you know that there are over 6,000 species worldwide and about 153 in Minnesota? Dragonflies play an important role in our environment. They feed on mosquitoes, are a food resource for fish and amphibians, and are important indicators of aquatic ecosystem health.

Become a dragonfly survey volunteer this season and help contribute to the research of these organisms in our local parks. With your help we will be able to gather data on dragonflies in local parks, and eventually work to ensure the conservation of Minnesota’s dragonflies.

Location

Lebanon Hills Regional Park*

860 Cliff Road,

Eagan, MN 55123

*Various locations throughout the park. Please pre-register for each date you would like to volunteer as meeting places and survey locations might change during the season. Pre-registration helps us know who to send event details to by email for each date. 

Date/Times

Survey season runs May – September. You do not need to participate at each event to join this opportunity. Attend as often as your schedule allows throughout the season.

Wednesday, May 14 2-4pm

Thursday, June 12 1-3pm

Saturday, July 12 9:30-11:30am

Tuesday, August 19 10am-noon

Tuesday, September 23 2-4pm

Duties & Responsibilities

• Help collect information about our local dragonfly populations by collecting specimens with nets and identifying the dragonflies you catch. Event staff will train you onsite on how to catch dragonflies safely and how to identify different species from each other. 
• At each monthly survey, your team leader (who conducts the training and survey) and members from the Minnesota Dragonfly Society will work with you and the team to help identify the dragonflies you catch.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be comfortable with working in an outside environment with bugs.
• Able to follow instructions on how to catch a dragonfly in a way that will not harm the insects.
• Enthusiastic about invertebrate conservation and the outdoors is a plus.

Age Requirements 

We encourage participants to be at least 5 years old or older to properly enjoy the event. If minors want to volunteer by themselves, they need to be 16 years old or older. 

Contact Information

Garrett Zaffke | Community Relations and Volunteer Services Coordinator

Dakota County Communications

1590 Highway 55| Hastings, MN 55033

Direct: (651) 438-4635 | Fax: (651) 438-4405 | Email: garrett.zaffke@co.dakota.mn.us