This past week at the garden, volunteers led students on a bug hunt! The students were able to learn about bugs and their different roles in the garden and in the food web. After searching the garden, we found a variety of different bugs including bees, grubs, ladybugs, spiders, rolly-pollys, and centipedes. We captured as many as we could in containers and then talked about whether the bugs we found are beneficial or detrimental to the garden. We discussed the four common roles of bugs in the garden. These include decomposers, pollinators, garden helper's and garden pests. I was very impressed with the groups' knowledge of pollinators as well as the beneficial qualities of worms in the soil. Luckily, we found bugs from each of the four categories so the students were able to observe the bugs while learning about their role in the garden! At the end of the lesson, the students determined which bugs should be placed back into the garden and which should be disposed of. Not only were the students able to learn about bugs and the garden food web, but they assisted in eliminating pests from the garden. What an excellent method of natural pest control!
Andrea Jannotta
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