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The GREAT Shirdley Bug Hunt
23rd March 2022
We are really pleased to be able to announce that we have received some funding from the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund to set up a Bug Hunt in the grounds of Shirdley, for visiting day or residential groups.
We believe that encouraging children and young people to explore their local communities will help develop their stewardship of our natural environment - something needed more now than ever before.
From the 1st April 2022 groups will be able to join in the GREAT Shirdley Bug Hunt.
We will provide (free of charge) for all those taking part :
- a bug guide to record their findings
- a certificate of involvement
- packet of wildflower seeds to take home and plant in their own gardens
- leaders activity pack of ideas on the environment
In the grounds of Shirdley, we will be installing a bug hotel (encouraging bugs to thrive and provide somewhere to see them) and signage with key information on the bugs you will find there.
We will also provide visiting groups (on loan) with bug hunting equipment such as posters and mini microscopes - as well as a range of books to find out more.
Why This Is Important ....
Science
Appreciate Nature
Appreciate Nature
This seems pretty obvious, but yeah, science. The more we allow our kids to observe the world around them the more they learn.
Kids are HIGHLY observant. The reason behind this is that they are constantly making sense of their world.
Everything is an experiment to them. They are making discoveries and piecing together all that they see to understand.
Why does this insect or bug look like this? How do they move? Why does this one’s mouth look this way?
Appreciate Nature
Appreciate Nature
Appreciate Nature
When you let your kids play with bugs, they learn to understand and appreciate nature.
Children will start to see how things in nature work together. The spider is creepy, but it catches the mosquitoes in its web and keeps us from having too many!
The earthworm is slimy, but look how the slime makes the soil rich and helps the plants grow!
Children will also start to notice the beauty in what they observe. They’ll see the intricate designs and specific functions of what they see.
Being Outdoors
Adventure and Fear
Adventure and Fear
We all know fresh air is important! When your kids are looking for bugs to observe, they are outside, getting fresh air, sunlight, and exercise!
Outdoors time can double as education time when they are playing with bugs.
Can you find some ants? Find a spider web! What kind of web is it? Find a bug that helps us.
Adventure and Fear
Adventure and Fear
Adventure and Fear
Anyone have a kid that FREAKED out every time a fly got in the house or car? Oh my gosh… It is so frustrating.
One thing that I noticed after reading about, observing, and learning about different insects, bugs, and spiders is the way children view them.
Knowledge is power, and this is true of bug knowledge too! One family used to have Brown Recluse spiders in their very old house. Their parents were constantly afraid that their kids would try to mess with one and get bitten. On the other hand, they didn’t want them to freak out with EVERY bug or spider they encounter because their parents had bred fear into them.