DSA 2026 Meeting - June 24-28 in Hot Springs, North Carolina
Schedule of Events
Friday 6/26: Reception and Keynote Presentation
On Friday night, we’ll gather at Chestnut Hall in downtown Hot Springs to swap stories from our field trips, enjoy some refreshing local beverages and snacks, and take in the keynote presentation. Ed Lam, author of Dragonflies of North America, published by Princeton University Press (2025), has set a new standard for North American dragonfly field guides with this remarkable book. Wheelchair access at the venue.
Saturday 6/27: DSA Organization Meeting, afternoon Workshops and Presentations
The Dragonfly Society of the Americas will have its annual business meeting Saturday morning at the Laurel Community Center, 4100 NC-212, Marshall, NC 28753. After the business meeting we will have workshops and presentations at the same location. This is also an excellent spot for some nymph catching, as the Laurel Community Center sits beside Shelton Laurel Creek, a biologically exceptional mountain stream system. It is home to a number of rare odonates including Harpoon Clubtails, Maine Snaketails, and Mountain River Cruisers. Wheelchair access at the community center.
Genomics Lab and Workshop: Gray Petaltail (Tachopteryx thoreyi). 6/22-6/28
The Dragonfly Society of the Americas is hosting an immersive DNA Extraction and Analysis workshop at the DSA Conference . Over the course of an intensive week, students will collect dragonflies in the field, extract DNA and perform hands-on lab work, analyzing data and preparing results. Participants will gain real-world experience in evolutionary biology, contributing meaningful data to ongoing research efforts.
This free opportunity is open to high-school and undergraduate students, with boarding and meals included. Previous student-generated research has been published in leading scientific journals and featured by The New York Times. Participants will also prepare their findings for presentation at the 2026 Dragonfly Society of the Americas Conference. Join us to conduct authentic research, contribute to species conservation, and take your first step into the world of published science.
Field Trip Info
Wednesday 6/24: Max Patch and Harmon Den
This is a high elevation (4500ft) location with several beaver ponds, a human made pond and wetland and creeks. There are pond damselflies and skimmers at this location, possibly late Snaketails, but the best target at this location is Sable Clubtails which are generally gone by late June but at this location they are usually abundant into July.
Access: This is a moderately high elevation site (4500ft). There is a short hike through brushy terrain with no path to access the creek. The creek is brushy and moving around the area is easiest in the water. There is wheelchair access with a hard surface at a pond where visitors can watch skimmers and damselflies. Netting and collecting is permitted.
Thursday 6/25: Paint Creek, Shelton Laurel and the French Broad
On Thursday we can make a morning trip to two locations to track down the elusive Mountain River Cruiser. In the evening we can take in the sunset scenery and watch the Stygian Shadowdragons over the French Broad.
Access: Low elevation. All the locations involved in these trips are essentially roadside. Wheelchair access with a hard surface is available at some locations. Netting and collecting is permitted.
Friday 6/26: Davis Branch
Davis Branch watershed along the French Broad is a rich, unique watershed with a diversity of wetlands, ponds, river, and marshy meadow habitat.
Target species here include Tiger, Brown, and Twin-spotted Spiketails, Gray Petaltails, Ruby Meadowhawks, and both Swift and Allegheny River Cruisers, which will be cruising the French Broad. Blue-tipped, Dusky, and Blue-ringed Dancers, along with Appalachian and Ebony Jewelwings, are common along the river corridor. An assortment of skimmers, including Great Blue and Painted Skimmers, is also generally present. It is late for Sable, Green-faced, and Mustached Clubtails, but they are well known from the area and we may pick up some stragglers. Rapids Clubtails should still be flying, and Riverine Clubtails may be seen over the river. Special Damselflies from the area include Appalachian Jewelwings, Aurora Damsels and Eastern Red Damsel, and the rarely seen Furtive Forktail.
Saturday 6/27: Shelton Laurel Creek
After the business meeting on Saturday morning there will be an excellent opportunity for nymph hunting in the adjacent creek at the Laurel Community Center. Harpoon Clubtails, Piedmont Clubtails, Zebra and Laura's Clubtails, Allegheny and Mountain River Cruisers are usually on hand, to name a few.
Sunday 6/28: Greene County TN
Sunday might be a good day to chase some odes in Greene County, with Cherokee Clubtails chief on the list. Also, Southern Sprites are in the neighborhood. But there are other opportunities in the area we could turn to instead.
Access: Low elevation. This location is essentially roadside. Wheelchair access with a hard surface is available. Netting and collecting is permitted.
Meeting Registration - coming soon!
Check back for meeting registration details.
Abstract submission - coming soon!
T-shirt Info - coming soon!
Silent Auction Info - coming soon!
Genomic Sequencing Workshop - June 22-28
Local Information
Lodging
A locally owned booking agent for vacation rentals: https://www.hsgetaway.com
Things to do
The Hot Springs Tourism Association’s nonprofit website: https://www.hotspringsnc.org
Things to do in Hot Springs: https://www.hotspringsnc.org/things-to-do-in-hot-springs-nc
Madison County Tourism Development Authority’s website: https://visitmadisoncounty.com
A helpful Asheville-based site for regional info: https://www.romanticasheville.com