In the education department, the past month has been all about our 2nd graders here at Corkscrew. In school they're learning about the parts of an insect, how they function, what they eat, and what their role is in the world. They get to apply what they have learned in school when they come out to the sanctuary, and they sure do love being here and walking through our woods.
They are always excited when they find a new butterfly, or even a simple ant pile can be thrilling for them. We do our best to identify whatever they find for them.
Our dipnetting station is a huge hit with the kids. We let them examine some of our pond critters up close and personal. We tend to find a ton of fish, crayfish, whirligig beetles, shrimp, frogs, and even snakes!
Another interesting station that the kids get really into is our "Amazing Antlion" station. Antlions, also called "doodlebugs" are larvae that create little funnel-shaped pit traps. They wait at the bottom of the trap for ants to slide into the pit and then the feast begins!
Coming across this wild boar carcass was a huge surprise to these kids. They actually handled it really well and I was so impressed! You never know how they are going to react to "gross" things like that. We think it's important to be open with the kids about what they may find out in the woods, and this boar was no exception. We talked about all the creepy crawlies that may have helped break this guy's body down.
It's really great seeing these 2nd graders getting really into their young entomologist roles when they visit. I love being apart of this and teaching them about how beneficial insects can be for us!
Until next time!
-Intern Shelby
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