We have added an additional ID training session for our friends in Northern Minnesota on May 2nd 2026 at the Sax Zim Welcome Center
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Monday, June 2, 2025
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
- 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.
We hope you can join us! If you have questions, please email info@mndragonfly.org.
Saturday, April 19, 2025
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.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
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.
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.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
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!
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