MCAS October 2025 Zoom Community Program
Flame Skimmer Dragonfly [photo by David Biggs]
Date: Monday, October 20th, 2025, 7:00 pm
Title: Dragonflies and How to Attract Them with a Wildlife Pond
Presenter: Kathy Biggs
Join Zoom Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 989 9031 6001; Passcode: 375645
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All MCAS Zoom Community Programs are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No signup/registration required to attend.
Description:
This program will introduce the fascinating biology of the Odonates - the dragonflies and damselflies. Attendees will learn about the dragonfly’s life cycle which includes an underwater nymph stage, much like a butterfly's caterpillar stage. The different families of dragonflies will be introduced and the most common species to be attracted to a pond in the Morro Bay area will be presented. The use of ponds to attract the Odonates, the ideal size and depths, the best plant species to use and maintenance techniques will be explored along with positioning the pond on your property. Dragonflies are beautiful - Ponds are peaceful - Having both is a true joy!
Bio:
Kathy Biggs has been a nature lover all her life. When she built a wildlife pond in her backyard in 1996, dragonflies arrived and she found her true passion. She then created several websites: wildlife ponds, California Dragonflies & Damselflies, and Dragonflies of the Greater Southwest which grew into several books including guides to dragonflies of California, the Southwest and Jalisco, Mexico, each a first for its area.
When the Pandemic stopped all the programs and walks she was giving, Kathy thought she was retiring, but her friend Sandra von Arb talked her into co-authoring a new guide, Dragonflies (Anisoptera) of California. This guide includes distribution maps besides descriptions and large photos of both sexes and other necessary information including a nymph or exuvia for each genus, a first for any dragonfly guide.
An eGuide, Dragonflies of the Greater Southwest, which is completely interactive and includes California, is another accomplishment that Kathy is proud of. She is also the author of the CD Build a Pond for Wildlife which explains how that differs from building Koi and Tropical lily ponds, and an educational coloring book, Dragonflies of North Americawith art by Tim Manolis.
Kathy surveys for dragonflies in California and the greater southwest. She manages the Yahoo Group CalOdes and she tracks flight data and distribution for California and Jalisco. Kathy is a member and vetter for Odonata Central,iNaturalist and for the Western Odonata Facebook Group. She also has a Facebook group, Building Ponds for Wildlife, that helps newbies and provides a forum for members to share their successes and the wildlife that visits.
The TV program "Deep Look" filmed Kathy’s Pond and its inhabitants in 2017 and again just this year. The 2017 program can be seen from this link: Deep Look - A Baby Dragonfly's Mouth Will Give You Nightmares. The 2025 footage is still in process.
Kathy has worked with the Bureau of Land Management in protecting habitat for the rare Black Petaltail dragonfly and has discovered new breeding areas where the rarest dragonfly in North America (the San Francisco Forktail) lives. She hopes she can inspire you to get to know the dragonflies and possibly to build a habitat that supports them.
If you have questions, email Wendy McKeown, Community Programs Chair: wendy.mckeown@morrocoastaudubon.org
