Is it an alien? Is it a freaky ant? No, it’s a vinegaroon. straight from Arizona to a Lady Buggy program near you!

Campers from the Cross Conservation Area are fascinated with isopods and can’t wait for a turn to hold one.

You know when you blink and then when you open your eyes again an entire season has passed? That’s how I feel… summer was full of fun and sun (and smoky skies) and bugs and conferences and camp visits and more bugs and then some more fun.

I had the opportunity to visit Arizona for a bug educator’s conference (yes, there is such a thing) where I met people from around North America who have the same passion for sharing arthropods as I do, and we had a fabulous time swapping ideas and experiences. I also acquired a new little friend down there…ever heard of a vinegaroon? Book a program and you can meet one up close…just sayin…

I also delivered programs at many different day camp venues which just goes to show that thirst for learning is not limited to the classroom setting. The kids were so very excited to not only hear my stories and facts about bugs, but also to share their stories about the cool critters in their backyard with me. To listen to the kids, you’d think Calgary is overrun with ladybugs and bees! (Well there’s worse things.)

And now we head into the new school year! I have more classroom ideas buzzing around in my head than I can possibly put together but you’d better believe I’ll try. First, a Hallowe’en display needs to be made. Apparently some people think tarantulas are scary…weird. Anyway be on the lookout for Lady Buggy at a special event near you! Boo!

Well, of all the things involved with starting this business, maintaining the blog hasn’t been at the top of my list. I’ve been making costumes, purchasing life-cycle models and 3D puzzles, maintaining my critters, printing business cards and flyers and about a million other things…only to re-discover today that my beautiful website has a blog link that is sadly out of date! Time to remedy that right now.

Since September I have been thrilled to discover that the appeal and educational opportunities around arthropods (AKA bugs) are much broader than I ever expected. Sarah and I have delivered school programs for kids from pre-school right up to high school, and we even did a workshop for adults at the 2018 Calgary Teachers Convention. Everybody is fascinated with the world of the multi-legged, be it in the spirit of science, genuine fandom, or in more of a can’t-tear-my-eyes-off-them-because-they’re-so-gruesome kind of way. (If this last one is you, no judgement. We’ll keep working on it.) The topic of bugs has applied equally well to both science and language arts classes and I can’t wait to see how many other subjects we can enrich. Social studies? Art maybe? Ooooh that has potential I might need to make a phone call…

Most recently I’ve been inquiring about the possibility of of visiting day camps this summer. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and I’m looking forward to expanding Lady Buggy’s reach from strictly school environments to more recreational settings so people can see that bugs are fun and learning is everywhere!

We need to keep getting the word out so we can continue to grow. Thanks for reading and I’ll keep you posted as I continue bringing big bugs to kids in Calgary!

Well, summer vacation 2017 is upon us and that means that there’s two more months until school starts again, ushering in Lady Buggy’s inaugural season! Sarah and I are busy little beavers (there must be an invertebrate version of that saying…) preparing program details, selecting and collecting friendly little creatures, and polishing off the website. In fact, I just replaced the generic images with some original photos of a certain adorable six year old (who may or may not be my own daughter) and her friend checking out our Chilean Rose named Aragog. Thanks to Jamie Swainson of Lola Mac Photography for the gorgeous shots, and Mrs. Hamilton of McKenzie Towne School for the use of her classroom. Stay tuned for more developments in the continuing story of the building of Lady Buggy– small creatures, big learning.

–Georgia