- The students from Auntie Mary Nicoli School in Aniak started a campaign to make the dragonfly Alaska’s official State Insect.
- They organized an election involving students throughout Alaska, convinced their local legislators to support their efforts, earned money to finance a trip to Juneau to testify before the legislature, and saw for themselves how the legislature works to deal with grass-roots initiatives.
- As the students’ Dragonfly Lobby Team from Aniak pointed out:
- 1. Dragonflies eat mosquitoes, one of the state’s most annoying pests.
- 2. Dragonflies are terrific fliers, like Alaska’s bush pilots.
- 3. Dragonflies’ large compound eyes reflect the many facets of Alaskan life and the diversity that exists within our state.
- 4. A dragonfly is a born hunter, a “true Alaskan.”
- Look at this essay on Dragons and Damsels by Mary Willson
- For some great footage of dragonflies in action look at https://youtu.be/wFAR3WggSRk
