Getting a Little Buggy

  Creepy crawlies are a natural part of our ecosystem and gardening.  Today our 4-H Jr. Master Gardener (JMG) Day Campers learned that not everything with more legs than they have is bad.  As a matter of fact they learned some insects are actually beneficial and why we need them.  Our youth were immersed in insects, butterflies, and other creatures that help pollinate and balance our world.  They learned the different phases they go through to become bugs, their life spans, and even decided which ones were too ugly for words.
  We also studied the different senses bug use to get around.  Some use their eyes, others a sense of smell, some have radar, and then there are the antenna that allow some bugs to feel their way through life.  To see what it was like we played the smell game and our youth had to match smells and figure out what they were smelling.  We used everyday smells such as vanilla, strawberry, peppermint, lemon, etc for them to match.  What most of our youth learned was that their sense of sight is a little stronger than their sense of smell.
  After a scrumptious lunch we checked out the JMG website and played a game in the Kids Zone.  I can tell you our youth are pretty smart getting some really complicated stuff correct.  After that it was time to make a unique vase with a potato, and learn how chlorophyl works using flowers and colored water.  We actually made a hypotheses and will collect data the rest of the week to see if our hypotheses are correct.
  While we worked on team building we took turns on the Virtual Reality (VR) Goggles.  We visited the International Seed Vault.  Most people don't realize but every nation has native seeds in the vault.  For example due to a civil war one country's crops were wiped out.  The country withdrew the seeds from the vault and worked with two countries with similar soil and climates to plant the seeds.  Crops were harvested to feed the nation and a new supply of seeds were generated.  Half went back into the vault and the other half were sent to the originating country to continue the food supply.  All of this and more through a set of goggle that took our youth to another dimension.
  After a brief snack it was time to go back to our lessons on the ecosystem and create our own terrariums.  The plant terrariums will create their own environment perfect for plants to grow in, with only a small amount of water needed.  Our campers were able to take their terrariums home with them at the end of the day and get them started growing in the perfect spot with lots of light at home.
  We may be halfway through the week but we have lots more to come.  Stay tuned because tomorrow is about to get wild and hairy.