Reviews of Dragonflies of the North WoodsAs reviewed in the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network newsletter: Take Time to Read...
Dragonflies of the North Woods by Kurt MeadPublished by Kollath-Stensaas Publishing $18.95 list (Amazon.com $14.78) ISBN 0-9673793-6-9 IBMN monitor Marla Garrison tipped Mel Manner off to this guide. It’s a wonderful
field guide for those of us learning the dragonflies. Alas, like many guides, it does
not cover the damselflies, although it briefly describes a few. The photos are
absolutely superb for showing the diagnostic characteristics with arrows pointing
right at them. Each photo has a bar included to show actually body length. Most
species have females and juveniles shown as well.
Even without the unsurpassed photography, the beginning text would be worth
the price. The Dragonfly Biology 101 and the Thorax Comparisons are very helpful
for novices. All guides include anatomy, but this guide takes it one step further, first showing you in drawings, then showing you with arrows in photographs. Very well done. The range covered is for northern Wisconsin, the Michigan Upper Peninsula,
northeast Minnesota, and into Ontario. However, people in northern Illinois will be
perfectly satisfied with that. People in the lower part of the state could possibly find a few species that are not covered. Mel Manner doesn’t know dragonflies well
enough to be sure. However, all common species, and most other species, seem to
be covered. And again, for a beginner, the descriptions and aids in learning
identification are well worth it, even if you end up buying a supplemental guide later. After all, how many of us own only one butterfly field guide?
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2004 National Outdoor
Book Award WinnerNature Guidebook Category |
|  Winner. Dragonflies of the North Woods. By Kurt Mead. Kollath-Stensaas Publishing, Duluth, Minnesota. ISBN 0967379369
Who doesn't love dragonflies as they flit and flutter about on a warm summer day? Certainly Kurt Mead is smitten. He is the author of this new and exceptionally useful identification guide. Considerable thought has gone into the design of this compact guidebook: sharp and colorful photos, easy-to-use field markings, habitat information, natural history notes, sizing scales, sighting frequencies, and . . . well, you get the picture. It's a darn good little guide. |
Nominations2003, Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards Dragonflies of the North Woods was nominated in the Nonfiction, Art and Scholarship category for the 16th Annual Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/nemba/2003Nominees.html |
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Media Stories about Dragonflies of the North Woods Star Tribune
http://startribune.com/stories/389/4125684.html http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/6862557.htm
(You'll have to log in.) Minnesota Public Radio
http://news.mpr.org/features/2003/09/16_kelleherb_dragonflies/ Lake Country News-Chronicle. by Monica Isley
http://www.twoharborsmn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=5&story_id=195942 Weekly Reader Article by Howard Weinberg
http://www.readerweekly.us/issue/319/Howard_Weinberg.html |
