BATH — Kennebec Estuary Land Trust plans to offer a free Zoom lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, to learn about the dragonflies and damselflies that make Maine their home.

The trust hosts Dr. Ron Butler, Professor Emeritus at the University of Maine Farmington, who is an expert on Maine’s dragonflies and damselflies.

There are 161 species of dragonflies and damselflies that have been documented in the state. People can learn about the characteristics, life cycle, species in Maine, population changes over time, facts, and ways to support these acrobatic insects, according to a news release from Ruth Indrick at the trust.

Participants are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the lecture.

Teaching for 35 years in UMaine Farmington’s Division of Natural Resources, Butler has been a leader of three major efforts that rallied community volunteers to gather information about Maine insects — the Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey (1999-2005), the Maine Butterfly Survey (2006-2015), and the Maine Bumble Bee Atlas (2015-2019). He just finished a book on the butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritimes and is now working on a similar book on damselflies and dragonflies of the region.

Registration is free and required in order to receive the Zoom link for the presentation. For more information and to sign up, visit kennebecestuary.org or call 207-442-8400.

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