ROCHESTER, Minn. — June 22, 2026 — On June 22, 2026, independent journalist and wildlife documentarian Lisa Loucks-Christenson released Jan the Dragonfly, a deeply personal account of one dragonfly’s life, flight, and final moments at Pool Pond.
Jan was the second to take flight this month, following Bale, who was first thought to be male but was later discovered to be female as well. The two females are now free at the Laurie (Loucks) Burt Wildlife Sanctuary, private land not open to the public, where wildlife may live, roam, and rest on its own terms.
Jan and Loucks-Christenson shared seven months and six days together. When Jan took her first flight, she nose-dived, then was briefly scooped up and lifted again before falling once more. The moment was fragile, natural, and real.
“Later that night, as I finished my daily documentary, two things happened: a crow flew over Pool Pond and me, and below it, a dragonfly hovered just long enough to be seen,” Loucks-Christenson said. “I can’t say it was Jan, only that I hoped it might have been. But I do feel it represented life at Pool Pond.”
Jan is part of a larger body of ongoing research and storytelling that includes Lionel: King of the Pool Pond, inspired by the first dragonfly to arrive in Summer 2025, and 61 Dragons, a continuing project focused on dragonfly nymphs.
Through The Allie Institute, Loucks-Christenson documents wildlife behavior, survival, and change through real-time observation, minimally edited photography, and film.
“As most of you know, I hardly edit my photos or video,” she said. “Raw is raw. I may crop, cut, or lighten or darken some part if needed, but otherwise it’s all real footage.”
Loucks-Christenson said she is creating a book for each of the dragons, as part of her ongoing research and lifelong work with the animal kingdom through The Allie Institute.
“Whatever you are facing today, this week, or in your future, let Jan be your wings.”
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#Inspiration #Hope #Healing #Survival #Transformation #LetJanBeYourWings
Lisa Loucks-Christenson is an investigative journalist, author, photographer, illustrator, and wildlife documentarian. Through The Allie Institute and her related media projects, she documents animal behavior, environmental change, and the living stories of creation through real-time observation and minimally edited visual storytelling.