33. Dragonfly Odeing at Willow Lake

Sunday, August 26, 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm

33. DRAGONFLY ODEING AT WILLOW LAKE

• Sunday, August 26, 2018, 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM (Field Trip)
• $40. Limited to 15 participants.
• Meet at 10:45 AM at Festival Headquarters (Almanor Recreation Center) for free Introduction to Odeing at 11:00am followed by the field trip at 12:00pm to Willow Lake to find dragonflies and damselflies ("odeing").
• Wear shoes that can get wet; bring appropriate clothing, sun protection, lunch and binoculars.
• Activity level 3

 
DESCRIPTION:
After the introductory presentation we will drive (carpool) to Willow Lake, a very special place in California known not only for its beauty but for its biological diversity. It is a cold montane lake at ~5300 feet in elevation surrounded by a deep extensive mat of sphagnum moss. It supports a variety of rare plants including some that are more typical of arctic and subarctic climates and has been designated a Botanical Special Interest Area.  It is famous among dragonfly enthusiasts and researchers for its many odonates; almost half of the known dragonflies and damselflies known in Plumas County can be found in this one location.  It supports many more typically northern species whose southern extent follows the Cascades down Oregon and ends in the northern Sierras.  It is one of the few places where Canada Darner, Belted Whiteface, and Sedge Sprite can be found in California.  We will be walking along the shore and will likely get our feet wet as we look for these dazzling winged jewels of the lake. We will be practicing catch and release for some close up hands on experiences with dragonflies and damselflies. Binoculars and water shoes highly recommended and necessary for a full experience.
 
TRIP LEADER: SANDRA HUNT-VON ARB
Sandra Hunt-Von Arb has been a wildlife biologist in Northern California specializing in sensitive and endangered species since the mid 1990’s. More recently, Sandra has found her true passion: dragonflies and damselflies, aka odonates.  Sandra surveys for the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in Illinois.  She started and manages the Facebook page Western Odonata, participates in CalOdes for reporting dragonfly sightings, is an Odonata Central vetter for odonate records in California, participates and helps to organize annual CalOdes Dragonfly Blitzes.  She has also presented and/or led field trips on dragonflies for Godwit Days Bird Festival, Redwood Region Audubon Society, Plumas Audubon Society, Point Reyes Field Institute, and Redwood Parks Association & Tolowa Dunes Stewards, among others.