Dragonfly Larvae Sampling Completed at Yannatos/Jones Preserve!

Avalonia was pleased to once again offer its Yannatos/Jones Preserve in North Stonington as a sampling site for the Dragonfly Mercury Project administered by the National Park Service (NPS).

Two weeks ago, a group of staff and volunteers representing NPS, Avalonia, and Wood Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic River spent a beautiful morning wading into the confluence of Wyassup Brook and Green Fall River collecting and identifying immature dragonflies, or nymphs, as a part of this nationwide citizen science project. Selected specimens were prepared for transport and lab analysis, with a focus on determining the mercury levels in the dragonflies. Mercury contamination is a global issue, and our participation is one piece in a larger assessment of environmental risk.

While the day revealed many positive indicators of the ecological health of this section of the river, we keep our fingers crossed that the data returned reveals little to no mercury contamination.

Thank you to the National Park Service and Wood Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Stewardship Council for their leadership and expertise in this effort!