Kevin Munroe, Executive Director of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation
Our Speaker for last Thursday was Kevin Munroe, Executive Director of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation. Kevin gave us a unique presentation by focusing on a single, but important, Laguna health marker, the dragonfly. Now all Sunrisers know the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly!! (Hints – the damselfly’s eyes do not touch each other and at rest the damselfly’s wings are closed while the dragonfly’s are separated). Both are members of the insect order “Odonata.” Both are ancient and existed in much the same form before the dinosaurs ruled the earth!
Also, who knew that the bulk of a dragonfly’s life is spent as larvae beneath the surface of water? It’s true, and it is also why dragonflies tell us a lot about the health of a water system. If the water is not healthy the larvae does not live to become a full-fledged dragonfly. So, a water system with lots of dragonflies is likely to be a healthy and well managed system. Dragonflies are good news for the Laguna de Santa Rosa!
Kevin also gave us a general and helpful overview of the size and breadth of the Laguna’s watershed. In fact, water deposited anywhere within the 250-square-mile watershed, virtually all of Sonoma County, will probably find its way into the Laguna. The Laguna drains the entire Santa Rosa plain, including Windsor, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Sebastopol and Forestville. It is the most biologically diverse habitat in Sonoma County. The Laguna’s main channel is 22 miles long and drains into the Russian River!
In other words, the Laguna de Santa Rosa is one of Sonoma County's most important assets and needs to be cared for and nurtured. The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that the Laguna survives and flourishes. Thank you Kevin for your dedication to enhancing the Laguna and for speaking with us! Great job!
