ESTES PARK – If you were to close your eyes and picture a dragonfly, a startling accurate image forms. Here in each of our memories is a creature delicately perched, with beautiful iridescent wings, massive eyes, and a long slender abdomen. However, this clear image is only showing the dragonfly in its adult state. The dragonfly we all know so well began its life below the waves and currents, clinging to river cobbles, in a less iconic state.

On July 15th , the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Field Institute will explore the life and biology of dragonflies, stoneflies, and other aquatic insects in the class Macroinvertebrates: The Underwater World of Insects & Other Small Creatures in RMNP. This one day program will examine freshwater habitats and the macroinvertebrates that call the riverways in Rocky home. Emphasis will be placed on identification and the biology of aquatic insects. Whether you scientifically minded or not, learning about life underneath the water’s surface can enhance your experience and understanding of the freshwater ecosystems in and around Rocky Mountain National Park.

This course is instructed by Dr. Boris Kondratieff, professor of entomology and director of the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity at Colorado State University. Throughout his career, Kondratieff has published over 203 peer-reviewed scientific papers and coauthored four books. His research interests include aquatic insect ecology and taxonomic revisions/descriptions of new or poorly known species, including stoneflies, mayflies, and flies.

To register for this program, call the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Field Institute at 970-586- 3262 or visit www.rmconservancy.org