Our spring outing at Morris Island Conversation Area was filled with great sightings. We learned about the importance of water to ourselves and to the creatures that live in and around it, and discussed what we might find in it. There were many sightings – and captures – of dragonflies, and our friend Jeff told us many things about the strange and wonderful insects along the trails.  When we arrived at the pond, there were frogs chasing insects too. Below is a list from Suzanne of noteworthy sightings on this lovely June day.

We learned that only male Clubtail Dragonfly have separated eyes, which is helpful in identifying groups. We saw Prince Baskettail Dragonflies, which hunt in treetops in early morning, Widow Skimmer Dragonflies, and learned while we were handling them that Dragonflies continue eating their prey, even if they are being held! As always, please do not attempt to handle Dragonflies, unless you have been shown how.

We learned a bit about flies as well. The big ones were Crane Flies, often mistaken for overgrown mosquitos. The Scorpion Fly was neat to see, especially the males with their scorpion-like tail! There was also the Stilt-Legged Fly, which mimics wasps and uses its front legs to wave like antennae to trap its prey.

Other interesting sightings included the Dusky Wing Butterfly, from the Skipper group, and the Little Wood Satyr which has eye spots to confuse predators. Millipedes were in abundance, and there were several Green Frogs. At the pond we learned about Whirligig Beetles, which swim really fast in circles, earning their name. These beetles have two sets of eyes, to see above and below water at the same time.

On a sunny winter day in February, the Young Macnamaras visited Fitzroy Provincial Park with club expert Fergus Nicoll to search in the snow for signs of wildlife. And there were lots of them. Fergus first told us about how you can tell a dog’s footprint from a fox or coyote footprint. Apparently, dogs do not walk in straight lines, so if you see canine tracks that zig-zag, you know it’s a domestic dog, not its wild cousins. Trudging through the snow, we were able to identify tracks from Grey Squirrels and Fishers. The Fisher tracks came out onto the frozen Ottawa River, and appeared to circle before returning to the shoreline. This was really neat to see from the bridge.

We came across a bird feeder on the trail, that was being visited by Black-capped Chickadees, and took photos of them. Fergus also explained how footprints of a rabbit appear backwards, with back feet in “front” of the front feet. It was a great day to be outside in the winter, and we all learned many new things!

On a lovely Saturday morning in November, the Young Macnamaras went on The Great Young Macnamara Scavenger Hunt with two very enthusiastic participants, who learned a lot about the natural world around them.

As is usually the case, the natural world was easily available without high tech equipment. Both participants had a pencil, a clipboard, and a list of 15 items to collect while hiking along the Macnamara Trail in Arnprior, Ont. That collection list included their favourite rock, a hat for a snail, and the leaf of a tree that stays green in the winter. The two kids also learned about "tree rubbings", an easy art form using a piece of paper held against the bark of a tree, and a pencil to rub the paper with. They tested this newfound knowledge on other rough surfaces like rocks and leaves.

When their lists were complete, Young Mac co-ordinator Alicia Salyi had a naturalist's question for both participants, and both got the answer right on the first try! Thanks to good weather and a sense of adventure, these youngsters had a fantastic trip along this local trail that's so rich in natural treasures.

On a refreshingly cool day in August, six Young Macnamaras went looking for dragonflies along the shoreline and boardwalks of the Morris Island Conservation Area in the Ottawa Valley, close to Galetta, Ont. Alicia took time at the start of the day to explain a bit about the lives of these beautiful creatures. Each participant was given a scientific image of a dragonfly to use as a guide and colour at home later. Alicia said dragonflies are predators who use their legs like a basket to catch their prey while they are flying. The kids joined in for a discussion about the habitats dragonflies prefer and their body characteristics. Fully informed, these Young Macs were ready to go out and find their "odonates."

While walking along the trails, the group encountered several species of dragonfly and damselfly, but the important thing was observing and appreciating these creatures, rather than identifying them. The kids (and parents!) were really good at catching them with long-handled nets. Once a specimen was caught, Alicia held it up for everyone to get a close look and see types of dragonflies in different habitats and pick up on characteristics like similar colours and size.

And there were opportunities to look at other creatures as well. The tree with the bear claw markings was really cool, and Young Macs compared their hands to the size of the paws' claw marks. Frogs were found and briefly held, and we even saw two different Northern Water Snakes, one of them swimming!

The day ended with a litterless lunch at picnic tables with talk about our adventure and building on the new friendships. Everyone agreed that Morris Island Conservation Area is a great place to bring your family for the day, and is a treasure trove of odonates.