Mighty Bug Hunt
Jim Stoeckel, one of our bug experts, monitors one of the light traps with a junior high student during a "catch & release" hunt for insects. The light traps were created by draping a white sheet over a wooden clothes dryer. A battery-operated lantern was placed inside to provide light to attract a few critters. Students also monitored the other light traps in the schoolyard as well as a few pitfall traps that were baited with rotten fruit and pig manure. Visit the Insect Collection Idea page for more details!

Teacher Information:  Mighty Bug Hunt (pdf)

Six-Legged Race
Students compete in the "six-legged" race! Three students formed a six-legged team and raced to collect insect tokens that were scattered near the Nature Center. The tokens were created from small plastic coins with pictures of insects and other arthropods glued to them. Teams were penalized for collecting tokens that were not insects! 

Cocoon Challenge
Students tried their luck at the Cocoon Challenge! Each team had 5 minutes to turn each volunteer into a human cocoon with only 3 rolls of toilet paper! At the end of 5 minutes, the students voted to see which team had made the best cocoon.  

Bug Juice Challenge
Armed with a straw for a proboscis and a container of "nectar" or juice, students competed to see who could slurp the juice the fastest! This was the favorite game of the night! Be sure to have enough "bug juice" for all the kids!

Fly-Copter Challenge
Students use a toy called a "flying dragonflies" to learn more about winged insects and try their skills at making it fly!