Dragonfly Walk at Busch Conservation Area with Yvonne Homeyer Register

Date and Time:
Sat, Jul 26, 2025; 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM  (Central)

Organized By: Eastern Missouri Group

Location: August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area Visitor Center, St Charles, MO

Map | Directions

Event Organizers:
Jack Hambene
   jack.hambene@sbcglobal.net
   (314) 922-3058

Estimated Time and Length: two plus hours. Short walks along lake banks. We will drive to multiple lakes in the Conservation Area 
 
Place and Parking: Meet at the lower Visitor Center parking lot at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area just prior to 9 am. The Visitor Center address is 2360 Highway D.  Coordinates: 38.704733, -90.740627
 
From Interstate 64 in St. Charles County, take Highway 94 -South for 1.3 miles to Highway D, then west 1.90 miles to the entrance on the north side of D. At the T intersection, turn right and then turn right again into the lower parking lot for the Visitor Center. You will see a sign for the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden, where we will meet.  
 
Brown MDC signage marks the entrance to the Conservation Area on the south side of Highway D. The Visitor Center phone number is 636-441-4554. 

Description of Outing: Dragonflies and damselflies are often called birdwatchers’ insects.  Large, brightly colored, active in the daytime, and displaying complex and interesting behaviors, they have existed since the days of the dinosaurs, and they continue to flourish. Join us to learn
about these fascinating insects from one of our area’s experts. 
 
Yvonne Homeyer is the president of the St. Louis chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. Her interest in dragonflies and damselflies started about 25 years ago as an extension of her interest in birds and butterflies. She is a part-time instructor in the Continuing Education program of the St. Louis Community College, where she teaches classes on butterflies and dragonflies

Binoculars and cameras are encouraged. Close-up views of dragonflies and damselflies through binoculars will enhance your experience. Nets will not be used. The most common dragonflies that we are likely to encounter on our field trip will be Widow Skimmer, Slaty Skimmer, Spangled Skimmer, Eastern Amber wing, Eastern Pond hawk, Blue Dasher, Common Whitetail, Black Saddlebags, Halloween Pennant, Banded Pennant, Prince Basket tail, Common Green Darner, and Wandering Glider. The most common damselflies are Fragile Forktail, Eastern Forktail, Blue-fronted Dancer, Powdered Dancer, Orange Bluet, Familiar Bluet, and Skimming Bluet.
 
Difficulty: Easy with some uneven surfaces along lake banks in tall grass. Moderate Pace

To allow everyone to take advantage of Yvonne’s expertise, we will limit the group size to 10.  We request one dollar per person Sierra Club donation. Dollar bills would be appreciated.    All participants must sign a Sierra Club waiver. Sign-up under Outings on the EMG website.  

 Water, Food, and Gear: Bring water, wear sunscreen and apply bug spray. Wearing long pants with sturdy shoes and socks that will protect against ticks and chiggers. Binoculars and a zoom camera are essential to see these fast- moving insects. 
 
No dogs please.  

Bathroom Availability: At the visitor center only.

Leader will be driving a grey Honda Accord with license number TB4 N7U. 

Resources:
August Busch Conservation Area: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/august-busch-memorial-conservation-area
Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden: https://www.timesnewspapers.com/southcountytimes/features/butterfly-watch/article_ceed4a7f-600a-5799-88bd-e0f3104d5153.html