This year’s Dragonfly Day at Tegart Pond in Gresham was a blast! Community members of all ages came together to celebrate dragonflies by learning how to safely catch and ID them and how to improve our watershed by building healthy habitats.
Depave brought their runoff model to demonstrate how surfaces that allow rain water to pass through (permeable) are more beneficial than surfaces that water flows over (non permeable). Comparing how filtering pollutants through a slower process results in a cleaner creek was a great visual for all ages. City of Gresham provided information on the Backyard Certification program and how everyone benefits from pollinator gardens. The art station at the JCWC booth was a hit, building dragonflies of many shapes and styles while the interactive watershed model demonstrated what types of pollutants end up in our waters.
After a hands-on demonstration, many were able to catch dragonflies and damselflies and use the dichotomous key to ID them. Fostering curiosity and respect for some of our smaller critters encourages a lifelong love for the many parts of the watershed. Through our community science and environmental education programs we hope that everyone has the opportunity to see themselves in the watershed.
Thank you to City of Gresham for their support, reaching out to the Spanish and Russian speaking communities in Gresham, and funding for this annual event.
