Dray Dragonfly's Story

Dray "Save the Rays" Dragonfly will share the
dragonfly tale. The story is written below for you
to read while listeningto Dray.

Hi! I’m Dray “Save The Rays” Dragonfly.

I thought you might like to know a few things about dragonflies. You usually see us flying around lakes, rivers and ponds. We help the environment in small ways.

Believe it or not, dragonflies are as old as the dinosaurs. We’ve been around for 320 million years! We don’t live very long, but we're still here.

Dragonflies live all over the world, so there are lots of folk stories and fables about us. In Japan, the dragonfly is a symbol of strength and happiness. I must say that I always feel happy and strong.

In the Southern United States there is a myth that dragonflies follow snakes around and stitch them up when they get hurt. There I’m sometimes called "Snake Doctor." It feels great to know I’m helpful.

In Native American legends, dragonflies are known for our swiftness and activity. The Navajo tribes say we are a sign of pure water because we like to be around lakes, ponds and streams. Navajos also use us as a symbol of renewal after a time of great hardship. That means we help them feel better when they’re sad.

I was born on the bottom of Blazer Lake. Some of my friends were born on woody plants on the hillside. I lived around Blazer Lake until I was old enough to spread my wings.

My eyes are very special and helpful to me. I have 30,000 facets, or “little lenses” in my eyes. Each one is sensitive to different light. With all these lenses, I have 360 degree eyesight. I can see in a complete circle around myself. This helps me to spot my food.

When I’m hungry I fill my tummy with mosquitoes, gnats, midges, butterflies and even bees. Occasionally I get a fancy and eat small fish and anything else in the water that looks good to me.

I don’t bite, so you don’t need to be afraid of me. If something catches me, though, I will bite to try to escape. Wouldn’t you?

Even though I’m small and look insignificant to some people, I help the environment and keep bugs away from you. Leaving lights on when you don’t need them can also seem insignificant, but add all the lights up and that means lots of wasted energy. How about using rechargeable batteries or turning the TV off when you’re not watching it? It takes a lot of energy to make energy so my motto has always been “Save the Rays.” I hope you’ll do that too.