Mussels, Dragonflies and Damselflies

Photo by Gerald Beetham

With Jason Carmignani, Ph.D., Aquatic Ecologist, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife

What do mussels, dragonflies and damselfies have in common? They all are inhabitants of freshwater ponds and are bioindicators of pond health. They also all have wild and crazy life cycles! Join us for this expert’s presentation where he will reveal the watery world of these creatures. We’ll get answers to questions, such as: How many different kinds of freshwater mussels can be found on Cape Cod? What’s a dragon versus a damsel and which ones are common and threatened on Cape Cod?

This event was brought to you as part of APCC’s Cape Cod Pondwatcher’s Bio-survey Program that encourages you to visit a pond near you and take some time to observe and report your findings. As a citizen scientist, the data will serve to provide greater knowledge of the biology of the Cape’s 890 freshwater ponds.