SMC Bug Huggers Adventure Camp 2026 – Day 5 Plant - Insect Interactions

Bug Huggers Adventure Camp - hands-on, science-rich experience for students entering Grades 5–8. Concept by Vermont Entomology Academy. The camp is run by Saint Michael's College. 

Day 5

Students arrived between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, during which they helped themselves to aquatic microscopy, insect pinning, bug hotel material preparation, or making entomology-themed pins and buttons (a big hit).

From 9:00 to 9:30 AM, students were visited by Dr. Mark Lubkowitz to learn about corn crop genetics, plant physiology, and the role of molecular biology in breeding geometrically optimized crop plants. Afterwards, they were taken up to Dr. Lubkowitz's lab to learn about scientific instrumentation utilized in molecular analyses.

At 9:30 AM, students grabbed their field notebooks and generated hypotheses about plant-insect interactions. 

Focusing on trees found across campus, students made predictions about species compositions on oak, honey locust, and maple trees.

 Students then went into the campus green and split into three groups representing the respective tree types. Students laid out big sheets

 to catch insects that would fall from beaten or shaken tree branches, 

recording all species and individuals found. 

Humanity is exalted not because we are so far above other living creatures, but because knowing them well elevates the very concept of life.

-Edward O. Wilson, Biophilia, 1984

Once back inside at 11:00 AM, students exchanged their results and hypothesized why different trees had different results, and what trees in the SMC Natural Area might look like.

Students had lunch from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

At 12:30 PM, students returned to the campus green to play entomology-themed active games and explore the campus's wooded areas.

At 1:30 PM, students returned to the lab for a guest lecture from Bailey Willett, a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University researching mosquito-driven pathology. 

Students learned about insect vectors, mosquito biology, and the many facets of entomology at an intersection with other fields of science. Students also learned about the many pathways that can lead to entomological research.

At 2:15 PM, students constructed their Bug Hotels, merging art and science while thinking about how to support local invertebrate biodiversity.

All students were picked up between 3:00 and 3:30 PM.

- Cole Logan, instructor at Bug Huggers Adventure Camp (Lightly edited)

-Photo credit: Cole Logan, Sandra Fary

We wish to thank the following donors for scholarships and program support

• Stephen and Clare Earley: Scholarship funds.

• Anonymous donors:  Scholarship funds & Photography.

• Bee The Change (Mike Kiernan et al): Scholarship funds.

• Vermont Entomology Society: Insect-themed T-shirts for registrants.

• Declan McCabe, Sandra Fary, Cole Logan: devotion to introducing and teaching youth about invertebrates.

• Saint Michael's College: Materials, lab space, campus natural areas.

• Josh Syverson and Owen Pinaud for assisting during the camp week.

• Emily Rowe (Northern Woodlands org.): Copies of Northern Woodlands magazine.

• Alden Wicker (Communication Specialist, Vermont Center for EcoStudies): Copies of VCE Field Notes magazine.

• Mercedes Oxford Kemp: Bug House kit, Insect booklets

• Yolanda Chen (UVM Professor): Pinned Insects 

...Every single species of the animal kingdom 

challenges us with all, or nearly all, the mysteries of life.

-Karl von Frisch, A Biologist Remembers, 1967

Bug Huggers Adventure Camp Staff Bios

Declan McCabe is a professor of biology at Saint Michael’s College with more than 20 years of teaching experience. Declan started his teaching career as a nature study instructor at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. Between 2008 and 2021, he served as an outreach professor for Vermont EPSCoR, working with school groups. He trained as a community ecologist focusing on macroinvertebrates in freshwater habitats and recently published a book on this topic. His Invertebrate Bestiary column appears quarterly in Northern Woodlands Magazine.

Cole Logan: Is a museum scientist and wildlife conservationist with broad experience in natural history collections care, exotic animal husbandry, and zoological research. His research concerns the disentangling and organization of invertebrate biodiversity, primarily arachnids, through systematics, biogeography, and evolutionary biology. "It is my hope and belief that in understanding life at its roots, we may be better equipped to protect and conserve it. He was the Invertebrate Collections Student Manager for UVM's Zadock Thompson Natural History Museum throughout my undergraduate career, and most recently a Research Associate at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He currently resides in Brooklyn, NY, where he conducts his research remotely. "In all that I do, I lead with curiosity and wonderment for the exceptional animals that we're able to see today. While I am dedicated to pursuing my future with the vision of a healthier, fuller planet, I am also steadfast in my goals to enhance visibility and accessibility within STEM. I favor education and outreach as primary tools to challenge invisible barriers that limit and otherwise shade inspiration and engagement. He is currently employed by the Bronx Zoo. 

Sandra Fary has over three decades of teaching experience. For most of her career, she has taught 7th and 8th-grade science. As an outdoor enthusiast, she believes science should be a hands-on field and laboratory experience, whereby students learn about the natural world by investigating their local place. She spends her outdoor adventures kayaking, hiking, and mountain biking all across Vermont. In her spare time, she tends her various gardens, reads novels, designs gardens for others, and tries out new wild mushroom recipes. She looks forward to the science adventures she will have with the young entomologists at the Bug Huggers Adventure Camp.

Owen Pinaud is a junior at UVM studying Environmental Science. His love for the outdoors and its stewardship began in his backyard and while hiking and biking across the Green Mountain State. It grew even more from his high school participation in the EPSCoR program through UVM and St Mike’s. He loves all sports and plays club baseball and basketball for UVM. He looks forward to working with budding entomologists and scientists in the Bug Huggers Adventure Camp.

Josh Syverson is a sophomore at St. Mike's studying Biology and Environmental Science. As a young boy, Josh was deeply curious about all things, particularly the natural world. You would often find him running around the Audubon and town forests of Vermont, climbing trees, jumping off rocks, and journaling his findings in his very first field notebook. Since enrolling in St. Mike's, his appreciation for the natural world has only grown. Today, he loves hiking, fishing, and exploring nature. He is excited to help young nature lovers find a deeper understanding of the natural beauty that Vermont has to offer through the Bug Huggers Adventure Camp.

Bailey Willett (Single presentation at Bug Camp): graduated from Cornell with degrees in entomology and microbiology, but is now a PhD candidate at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. She’s investigating how mosquitoes regulate blood feeding. She's interested in understanding the interplay between mosquito midgut physiology and pathogen infection. She's currently studying Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria, but her interests have explored many different blood-feeding arthropods and their unique intersection of ecology, microbiology, and public health. 

Program co-developer and administration

Bug Camp program co-developer and administrator

Bernie Paquette created and administers Vermont Entomology Academy Programs. He is a Vermont-based observer of insects with a special fondness for the small, winged, and often-overlooked beings that buzz, crawl, and flutter through our world. His writing and photography explore the everyday wonders found just outside our doorsteps. His purpose is to help build, inspire, facilitate community, and introduce others to inverting - the joy of observing insects. "I am dedicated to building a community of inverters." See the Vermont Center for EcoStudies Fall 2025 magazine article about Bernie on page 10,  Inverting is Discovering and Observing Tiny Wonders (insects) in Your Backyard. 

For a flavor of the life living as close to you as your backyard, view "Explore Vermont’s Insect Life: 120 Amazing Photos by Bernie

Summary

SMC Bug Huggers Adventure Camp 2026: Week in Review

The inaugural Bug Huggers Adventure Camp at Saint Michael's College was an exciting week of scientific discovery, outdoor exploration, and hands-on learning. Throughout five days, campers explored forests, streams, vernal pools, meadows, and pollinator gardens while learning how entomologists and biologists study the natural world.

Students collected and identified insects and other invertebrates using professional field techniques, including pitfall traps, aquatic sampling, pollinator surveys, and tree-beating studies. In the laboratory, campers examined specimens under stereo microscopes, created scientific illustrations, learned insect pinning techniques, and observed live aquatic organisms in classroom aquaria.

The week emphasized scientific inquiry through experiments, including investigating termite chemical communication and testing whether dragonfly silhouettes reduce deer fly attacks. Campers developed hypotheses, collected data, analyzed results, and discussed ecological relationships between organisms.

Students also met working scientists from Saint Michael's College and beyond, touring research laboratories and learning about spider neurophysiology, isopod behavior, crop genetics, molecular biology, and mosquito-borne diseases. These experiences provided a firsthand look at careers in scientific research.

Creative activities balanced the scientific work, with campers making entomology-themed buttons, constructing Bug Hotels from natural materials, playing insect-themed games, and keeping detailed field journals throughout the week.

By the end of camp, students had gained practical experience in field biology, microscopy, experimental design, scientific observation, and ecological stewardship while developing a deeper appreciation for the remarkable diversity of invertebrate life. The combination of outdoor adventure, laboratory investigation, and mentorship from professional scientists made for an unforgettable week of exploration and discovery.

View the VTBugeyed blog posts of photos and details about each day (5 separate posts) 

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

Vermont Entomology Academy and Bug Huggers Adventure Camp Objectives

The Learning Cycle includes five phases: invitation, exploration, concept invention, application, and reflection.

Understand the vital roles insects play in ecosystems and in human life.

Explore ecosystem connections — the physical and functional relationships that support biodiversity and resilience.  

Learn the fundamentals of entomology: anatomy, diversity, life cycles, and lifestyles.

Experience the joy of observing insects in their natural habitats. 

Use iNaturalist to document, identify, and share observations (and become familiar with other entomological resources, including museum collections).

Practice using essential field tools — nets, magnifiers, and guidebooks — to investigate insects up close.

Develop keen observation and identification skills, deepening appreciation for nature’s details.

Cultivate a sense of awe for the small, complex, interconnected beauty of the insect world.

Recognize insects as living beings with needs: finding food, seeking shelter, avoiding danger, and striving to thrive as individuals and species.

Bug Huggers Adventure Camp 2026 – Day 4 Pollinator Surveys

Bug Huggers Adventure Camp - hands-on, science-rich experience for students entering Grades 5–8. Concept by Vermont Entomology Academy. The camp is run by Saint Michael's College. 

"To provide opportunities for children, or anyone, to witness the magic and glory of the natural world at its best is a small act that may be carried down the road. If it instills a desire to save a caterpillar, a snake, or a turtle, or to care for our environment, then it has made a difference." 

-Meghan McCarthy McPhaul, Night Flyers: North American Silk Moths Face Invasive Challenge: Northern Woodlands magazine, Spring 2014

Day 4

Students arrived between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, during which they continued exploring their aquatic tank invertebrates with pipettes, screens, and petri dishes to isolate microscopic specimens for analysis. Other students continued making entomology-themed pins and buttons.

From 9:00 to 11:00 AM, students grabbed their field notebooks and went into the campus green for pollinator surveys. Student groups were assigned different plants and tasked with counting the different species and individuals found throughout the pollinator gardens across campus, using guides provided by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Students then presented their findings and hypothesized why certain plants attract different pollinator groups.

At 11:00 AM, campers visited the lab spaces of Saint Michael's College student Maya Clough to learn about her research on isopod sociality and mortality responses to exposure to different chemical compounds. Afterwards, students examined the pinned insect collections of the Biology Department down the hall.

Students had lunch from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

At 12:30 PM, students headed back to the lab and organized tools for collecting natural materials necessary for Bug Hotel construction on the final day of camp. Students were taken to the Saint Michael's College Natural Area, collecting their pitfall traps from the old-growth forest from Day 2 on the way. Students collected materials like pinecones, grasses, reeds, sticks, and much more. 

At 2:00 PM, students returned to the lab and continued with individual and group-led microscopy and scientific illustration in their field notebooks. 

Everything in the world of Things and animals

is still filled with happening, which you can take part in. 

-Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903, 

from Letters to a Young Poet, 1927

Some students decided to learn insect pinning with me instead.

Recommended reading:

The Butterfly That Leafed Out by Bernie Paquette

All students were picked up between 3:00 and 3:30 PM.

- Cole Logan, instructor at Bug Huggers Adventure Camp (Lightly edited)

-Photo credit: Cole Logan, Sandra Fary

Note: Northern Woodlands, Vermont Center for EcoStudies, and Vermont Entomological Society donated their magazines and newsletters to the Bug Camp campers.

Vermont Entomology Academy and Bug Huggers Adventure Camp Objectives

The Learning Cycle includes five phases: invitation, exploration, concept invention, application, and reflection.

Understand the vital roles insects play in ecosystems and in human life.

Explore ecosystem connections — the physical and functional relationships that support biodiversity and resilience.  

Learn the fundamentals of entomology: anatomy, diversity, life cycles, and lifestyles.

Experience the joy of observing insects in their natural habitats. 

Use iNaturalist to document, identify, and share observations (and become familiar with other entomological resources, including museum collections).

Practice using essential field tools — nets, magnifiers, and guidebooks — to investigate insects up close.

Develop keen observation and identification skills, deepening appreciation for nature’s details.

Cultivate a sense of awe for the small, complex, interconnected beauty of the insect world.

Recognize insects as living beings with needs: finding food, seeking shelter, avoiding danger, and striving to thrive as individuals and species.

Bug Huggers Adventure Camp 2026 – Day 3 AQUATICS

Photo by instructor Cole Logan

Bug Huggers Adventure Camp - hands-on, science-rich experience for students entering Grades 5–8. Concept by Vermont Entomology Academy. The camp is run by Saint Michael's College. 

Day 3

Students arrived between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, during which they worked through their VES Activity Books and created entomology-themed pins and buttons. 

At 9:00 AM, students geared up and walked to the Saint Michael's College Natural Area to sample aquatic invertebrate life. 

Students explored a shady vernal pool first, and then a sunny stream, collecting a vast diversity of invertebrate life forms. 

Students sampled until 10:45 AM, and then on our way back, picked up our pitfall traps in the new-growth forest from Day 1 to sort through later.

Students had lunch from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

At 12:30 PM, students took a longer tour through the unseen parts of campus on the way back to the lab, learning about pollinator gardens, no-mow green spaces, rainwater gardens, and the urban ecology that all support.

Between 1:00 and 1:45 PM, students visited the lab of Dr. Adam Weaver upstairs to learn about neurophysiology in model spiders. 

Students got to learn about what science using invertebrates can look like, as well as getting a peek into Dr. Weaver's colony of South American wandering spiders. Afterwards, students toured the rest of the Biology Department facilities.

At 1:45 PM, students returned to our lab downstairs to begin analyzing their aquatic insects.

 Students transported dozens of specimens into two 10-gallon tanks to observe form, function, behavior, and movement. Students transported specimens into petri dishes for microscopy and scientific illustration. At the front of the lab, a digital scope was used to project rotating specimens to the whole class, where we learned together about the diversity of freshwater invertebrate ecosystems.

Around 2:30, students had the choice of going outside to play entomology-themed active games until the end of the day or staying inside to continue studying.

All students were picked up between 3:00 and 3:30 PM.

- Cole Logan, instructor at Bug Huggers Adventure Camp

Photos below from Instructor Sandra Fary.

We have no need to go picking out miracles and remote difficulties; it seems to me that among the things we see ordinarily, there are wonders so incomprehensible that they surpass even miracle in obscurity.  - Michel De Montaigne

“Students learn best when challenged with real-world questions and problems. Through multiple field excursions and a content-rich curriculum, middle school students develop an appreciation of the dynamics of the natural world.  Students’ understanding of the interdependence in their backyards enables them to be skilled in being future decision makers and stewards of the environment in their local communities of Vermont and beyond.” - Sandra Fary

Vermont Entomology Academy and Bug Huggers Adventure Camp Objectives

The Learning Cycle includes five phases: invitation, exploration, concept invention, application, and reflection.

Understand the vital roles insects play in ecosystems and in human life.

Explore ecosystem connections — the physical and functional relationships that support biodiversity and resilience.  

Learn the fundamentals of entomology: anatomy, diversity, life cycles, and lifestyles.

Experience the joy of observing insects in their natural habitats. 

Use iNaturalist to document, identify, and share observations (and become familiar with other entomological resources, including museum collections).

Practice using essential field tools — nets, magnifiers, and guidebooks — to investigate insects up close.

Develop keen observation and identification skills, deepening appreciation for nature’s details.

Cultivate a sense of awe for the small, complex, interconnected beauty of the insect world.

Recognize insects as living beings with needs: finding food, seeking shelter, avoiding danger, and striving to thrive as individuals and species.