MDS Summer Gathering 2025 details

Join us at Itasca State Park August 8-10, 2025 for our long-awaited summer gathering!

Gathering details

Two participation options- full weekend or field trip only.

Full weekend

• Arrive Friday, August 8
• Day-long field trip Saturday, August 9
• Two options: light (mobility-sensitive) & moderate (off-trail & uneven ground)
• Depart Sunday, August 10
• Lodging: shared cabins at the Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories in Itasca State Park
• due to limited space and to keep costs down, we cannot guarantee private rooms
• each participant will have their own bed & can request cabinmates (names &/or gender)
• See the station's website for general information on dining and lodging and life at the station, including what to bring.
• Dining: Itasca Biological Station dining hall. Includes:
• Friday dinner
• Saturday packed lunch
• Saturday dinner
• Sunday brunch
• Transportation:
• Participants encouraged to carpool
• Caravan to the field trip sites

Field trip only

• Arrive Saturday, August 9
• Day-long field trip (8:45am-4:30pm)
• Two options: light (mobility-sensitive) & moderate (off-trail & uneven ground)
• Bring your own lunch & snacks
• Station facilities & amenities only available to those lodging at Itasca Biological Station

Schedule:

• Friday 
• 2-4pm pre-gathering NatSci public event
• 3-6pm Arrive and settle into cabins
• 6pm Dinner in dining hall

• 7pm Campfire & Station/MDS Welcome with Emily Schilling & Kurt Mead

• Saturday
• Breakfast on your own
• 8:00am Dining hall to make your lunch 
• 8:45am gather outside of cabin 70  [day registrants join here]
• 9am depart for field trip
• 4:30pm arrive back at the station [day registrants depart here]
• 5pm Dinner in dining hall
• 6:30pm gather to share what we found in a classroom, setup with scopes

• 8pm Campfire

• Sunday
• 9am Station store open
• 10am Brunch in dining hall

• 11am Depart [cabins must be vacated by 11am]

Registration & cost

• Register using this form.
• Full weekend: $100+* donation (covers dining, lodging, & space use at the Itasca station)
• Field trip only: $30+ donation
• A MN State Park permit is required for Itasca State Park and is not included in the above costs.

*Thanks to the generosity of MDS members and other donors, we are able to offer this subsidized rate rather than charging our full dining & lodging costs. Additional donations are welcome.

We hope you can join us! If you have questions, please email info@mndragonfly.org.

MDS Summer Gathering 2025: Itasca State Park

 Save the date!  Registration link and more information coming soon.

Please email any questions to info@mndragonfly.org.

Dragonfly Identification Training Workshop 2025

 

We are happy spring has officially sprung!  No news of migrating odes in Minnesota yet, but we're anxiously awaiting those first common green darner and other dragonfly friends.

To help get ready for a busy summer of chasing dragonflies, MDS is hosting a dragonfly ID training event.  We hope you can join us!

Date: Saturday, April 12

Location: Tettegouche State Park

Time: 10 am – 3 pm

Cost: $20 per person/$10 for active MDS members

Space is limited to 25 participants; pre-registration required.

Register Here!

Training led by MDS Board Members:

•  Kurt Mead - MDS Founder, Naturalist, and Author of Dragonflies of the Northwoods

•  Jeff Fischer - Photographer, Webmaster, and Past President of the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society

For more information or if you have questions, please email info@mndragonfly.org.

  Tettegouche State Park

Click here to Register

For more information contact us at Info@mndragonfly.org

Annual Meeting & Gathering 2025

 

Join us Sunday, January 19th, for the 2025
MN Dragonfly Society Annual Meeting
and Gathering!

There are two options to join: in-person or on Zoom.
Please follow the steps below to register and join. 

1) Register using this form.  

• We will use this information for both in-person (to help us assess refreshment & setup needs) and Zoom (to send the meeting link & password).
• Please register by noon on Saturday, January 18th, to ensure we have enough snacks &/or you receive the Zoom link.
• In-person walk-ins will be welcome if space is available.
• You may want to double-check your email as you enter it into the form to ensure you receive the Zoom link (if applicable).

2) If you're joining in-person: 

• Meet at Eastman Nature Center (13351 Elm Creek Rd, Maple Grove, MN) and park in the lot.
• Enjoy socializing, presentations, snacks, & the chance to support MDS through our silent auction and merchandise/membership purchases.

3) If you're joining on Zoom:

• If you register by noon on January 18th, we will send an email with a Zoom link and password, sent that evening or the morning of the event.
• You may want to add info@mndragonfly.org to your safe sender list to ensure this email isn't caught by spam filters.

Meeting agenda*:

• 12:00  Social time: refreshments, silent auction, & merchandise/membership sales
• 12:30  Business meeting: MDS 2024 overview & Board/bylaw voting
• 12:50  Speaker: Ron Lawrenz- "Minnesota’s Roadside Odes" Travelogue
• 1:45  Break/silent auction
• 2:00  Speaker: Cathy 'Perk' Perkins- "Thanksgiving Dinner with Lance Grande" (damselfly fossils from the Eocene)
• 2:40  Final comments: invitation to 2025 field events & official meeting close
• 3:00  Social time & silent auction
• 3:30  Silent auction close
• 4:00  End of gathering

*This is a mostly informal gathering; agenda times are approximate & subject to change.

As always, this gathering is free, but donations are always appreciated.  If you would like to donate items to our silent auction, please email info@mndragonfly.org before the end of the day on Wednesday, January 15th. 

Whether you join us in-person or on Zoom, we look forward to seeing you!   And if you can't join us this time, we hope to see you at a future event or out in the field.  Happy 2025! 

Spring Dragonfly Identification & Volunteer Trainings

Join us for the first MDS-led Dragonfly ID & Volunteer Trainings in five years! 

Get ready for a busy summer of chasing dragonflies by joining Minnesota Dragonfly Society Board members for dragonfly identification &/or volunteer trainings this spring!

When: Sunday, April 21, 2024 (see specific session times below)

Where: William O'Brien State Park*

Register here

Dragonfly Identification Training

Whether you're unsure of the difference between dragonflies and damselflies, you just want an ID refresher, or anywhere in between, explore preserved specimens and photographs to learn the process and fundamentals of dragonfly identification in a guided, small-group setting.  As there will likely be no dragonflies on the wing at this time, this will be an indoor event.

Choose one of two sessions: 9-11am or 1-3pm. 

Cost: $20 donation per person/$10 for active MDS members (scholarships available).  Limit 15 participants.  Pre-registration strongly recommended; space may not be available for walk-ins.

Led by MDS Board Members:

• MDS Founder, Naturalist, and Author of Dragonflies of the Northwoods- Kurt Mead

• Photographer, Webmaster, and President of the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society- Jeff Fischer

Volunteer Training

Thinking about becoming a volunteer for MDS?  Want to help us share more excitement and knowledge about dragonflies?  Currently volunteering through MDS but want a refresher, updates, or information on how to become a lead volunteer?  Join us for a volunteer training!

Choose one or both sessions: 

• General volunteer training: 11am-noon
  Learn how easy it is to help out at MDS events, programs, surveys, and bioblitzes, and all the tools and equipment that may be available.  All that's required is an interest in dragonflies/damselflies and a willingness to share your interest with others. 

• Lead volunteer training: 3-4pm
  We can't say 'yes' to event requests without our lead volunteers, and we could really use more help.  Learn all the components of being a lead volunteer and how you can help get the word out about both MDS and dragonflies/damselflies.

Cost: free!  Limit 15 participants.  Pre-registration strongly recommended; space may not be available for walk-ins.

Led by Naturalist and President/Volunteer Coordinator of the Minnesota Dragonfly Society, Leah Darst.

*Note- a Minnesota State Park annual permit or day pass is required to enter and park at William O'Brien.  If you'd like to purchase one in advance, you can buy one here.

Registration bonus

If you register on or before April 19, you can purchase one piece of MDS merchandise (shirt or hat) at a $10 discount.  Any additional shirts or hats can be purchased at a $5 discount.  You can either add your purchase to your registration payment (with a note) or wait to pay for your MDS gear the day of the event.  Limited shirt colors and styles available.  

Questions?  Feel free to email us at info@mndragonfly.org.

MDS Annual Meeting & Gathering 2024

Join us Saturday, January 27th, for the 2024 MN Dragonfly Society Annual Meeting and Gathering!

There are two options to join: in-person or on Zoom.
Please follow the steps below to register and join. 

1) Register using this form.  

• We will use this information for both in-person (to help us assess food & setup needs) and Zoom (to send the meeting link & password).
• Please register by noon on Friday, January 26th, to ensure we have enough food &/or you receive the Zoom link.
• In-person walk-ins will be welcome if space is available.
• You may want to double-check your email as you enter it into the form to ensure you receive the Zoom link (if applicable).

2) If you're joining in-person: 

• After registering, go to the farm entrance of Dodge Nature Center (1701 Charlton Street in West St. Paul).
• Park in the lot.
• Walk up the paved trail to the white building on the right.
• Enter the building using the door on the right/north side of the building, near the clear garage doors.
• Enjoy socializing, presentations, food, & the chance to support MDS through our silent auction and merchandise/membership purchases.

3) If you're joining us on Zoom:

• If you registered, you should receive an email with a link and password to join the meeting.  This will likely be emailed on the evening of Friday, January 26th.
• You may want to add info@mndragonfly.org to your safe sender list to ensure this email isn't caught by spam filters.