VTBugEyed: BUGmobile - Vermont Entomology Academy

“Mobile Natural History Collection on Insects” — written in a format to present to schools, churches, or libraries.

Bees and other insects are in the driver's seat!
More bee and butterfly 'rally' photos below.

Vermont Entomology Academy “Pilot mobile natural history collection operation to serve communities in Vermont with lessons on insects” - essentially a “traveling museum” or “mobile science lab” that brings engaging, hands-on lessons about insects to schools, churches, libraries, and other community spaces.

🪲 BugMobile: A Traveling Natural History Experience on Insects

Pilot Project (Lesson Plans being refined)

Prepared by: Bernie Paquette / Vermont Entomology Academy
Date: November 2025
Contact: Bernie Paquette

1. Project Summary

BugMobile is a pilot mobile natural history collection designed to bring hands-on insect education directly to schools, churches, and libraries. The project’s goal is to inspire curiosity about nature, introduce the awe and wonder found in inverting (observation of invertebrates, specifically insects), and provide equal access to high-quality science learning experiences — particularly for communities without nearby museums or science centers.

Through portable exhibits, live and preserved insect specimens, and interactive lessons, BugMobile will engage children and families in exploring the diversity, anatomy, life cycles, and vital roles of insects in ecosystems.

One key feature of the program is that it is flexible:

Duration of the lesson plan - relatively short ( 1 to 2* hours. *2 hours includes outdoor insect observations).
Various themes
Interactive
Date offerings and location (indoors or outdoors: terrestrial or aquatic) pliant to participants' needs.
* Relies on a pool of 'instructors/facilitators' to offer a given lesson plan they are familiar with, on a date that works for them.
Easily adaptable to audience age range (from 8 to 100) with primary focus on school grades 3-8.
Best experience in small numbers (max 15 participants), but could be scaled up for special occasions - larger events like bug fairs.
And of course, it is mobile, meaning the program goes to where the audience/participants are located.

2. Goals and Objectives

Primary Goal:

To pilot a mobile natural history program that delivers educational sessions on insects to at least five community sites in 2026.

Objectives:

Develop and test three portable, hands-on lesson modules* aligned with school science standards.
Reach at least 100 participants (students, parents, and educators) during the pilot.
Collect and analyze feedback to assess educational impact and community interest.
Produce a pilot report to support long-term sustainability and funding.

3. Target Audience

Elementary & Middle Schools: Grades 3–8 science classes and clubs.
Public Libraries: Family STEM events or summer reading programs.
Faith-Based & Community Centers: Youth or after-school programs.

These partners already offer educational programming but often lack access to natural science resources or trained instructors.

4. Program Description

The BugMobile pilot will operate as a traveling mini-lab that can be set up in classrooms, libraries, or community rooms. Each session lasts approximately 60 minutes and includes:

*Lesson Modules:

Insect Explorers – Learn insect anatomy, life cycles, and diversity using preserved and live specimens.
Pollinators & People – Discover how bees, butterflies, and beetles - insects - impact food systems and ecosystems.
Citizen Scientists – Practice observing and identifying local insects using field guides and apps like iNaturalist.

Features & Materials:

Portable display boxes with labeled insect specimens.
Magnifying lenses and a digital microscope or monocular scope.
*Outdoor insect observations; photos of insects that are later posted on iNaturalist.
Supportive text. Ex. educational activity cards.
Optional interactive workshops (“Build a Bug” models, pollination experiments).
Optional live observation kits (ants, mealworms, or silkworms).
Use of insect guidebooks.

Each session is led by a trained facilitator (naturalist or science educator) and adapted for age and audience.

5. Implementation Plan

Timeline	Activities
Months:	Finalize materials, assemble insect displays, recruit pilot partners
Months:	Conduct pilot sessions at 5–7 sites
Month:	Collect feedback through surveys and interviews
Month:	Evaluate outcomes, prepare final report, plan next phase

Partnerships:

Potential collaborators include local schools, nature centers, university biology departments, and youth organizations (e.g., Scouts, 4-H).

6. Budget Summary (Pilot Phase)

Item	Estimated Cost TBD
Specimens & Display Materials
Microscopes / Magnifiers
Lesson Materials & Supplies
Transportation (mileage, signage)
Insurance & Permits
Marketing & Outreach
Evaluation & Reporting
Total Estimated Budget

Funding sources may include small education grants, local sponsors, donations, or program fees from partner organizations.

7. Evaluation & Outcomes

Success of the pilot will be measured by:

Number of participants and visited sites.
Teacher and participant surveys assessing engagement and learning.
Observed increases in curiosity, understanding, and appreciation for insects.
Documentation of logistics and costs for scaling up.

Findings will be summarized in a Pilot Evaluation Report with recommendations for future expansion.

8. Long-Term Vision

Following a successful pilot, BugMobile aims to:

Expand to include additional natural history topics (Plant and insect interaction and dependency, ecosystems).
Establish ongoing partnerships with schools and libraries.

The project will ultimately form the foundation for a regional mobile science education program serving diverse communities year-round.

9. Contact

Project Leaders: Bernie Paquette and _________? Working Group members: ________?
Organization: Vermont Entomology Academy
Email: Bernie.paquette@y___.com
Phone:
Website / Social Media: vtbugeyed.blogspot.com

Facilitators (naturalist or science educator) needed. Volunteer to have your name in the pool - no need to commit to a specific date when you will conduct a lesson plan.

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LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

Goals

We aim to spark curiosity, build confidence, and deepen our connection with the often-overlooked little creatures that keep our ecosystems alive. It’s time to dive into the joy of “inverting” — watching and learning about invertebrates (especially insects) — and to begin to see them not just as small bugs, but as wild neighbors.

Objectives

Get hands-on with the tools of the explorer-naturalist: cameras, the iNaturalist app, magnifying glasses, and guidebooks — and use them to discover the insect world up close.
Expand how you observe: try new observation methods, sharpen your attention to detail, and deepen your insect-watching skills.
Learn about insect lives — their anatomy, life cycles, how they survive and thrive — and understand why they matter.
Experience awe and wonder in nature: pay closer attention to the smaller, more intricate things in the world — to feel that you share this place with countless tiny lives. Insects have families. They need food. They need shelter. They find mates. They live out their roles. When you notice that, you notice how you, too, are part of the natural world.

And the best part: You don’t need to be a bug scientist to be amazed. But when you learn a little about them, the amazement goes even deeper.

Lesson Plan Outline

1. Growing care for insects as fellow life-forms

Explore what insects are: their anatomy, the huge diversity of life forms, different lifestyles, and multiple life cycles.

Predation, Camouflage, Mimicry

Ask: Why do insects matter? Consider how food, habitat, and life stages link species.
Field talk: Where do insects live in your yard or neighborhood? What habitat features support them?
Explore insect-plant interactions: pollination, attraction, food web roles, medicinal or ecological uses.

2. Life cycles and life stages

Learn how insects grow, change, reproduce, adapt.
Observe real examples (imagery, apps, field) of eggs → larvae/nymphs → adults.
Reflect: What does the journey of an insect reveal about resilience, change, and life?

3. Using iNaturalist: the why & how

Discover why using the iNaturalist app helps you share and document what you see.
Learn how to upload observations, view records, and connect with your community’s observations.
Understand how your observations contribute to science and local knowledge.

4. Field observations & deep dive into a species

When, where & how to observe: Set out on a field walk (backyard, park, woods) with tools in hand.
What’s living in your backyard? Observe what insects you find, note what they’re doing, and where they are.
Provide a beginner’s guide to insect-watching: tips for noticing, waiting, photographing, sketching, storytelling, and journaling. Dream up or think of theories for the insect behaviors you see.

5. Photos & stories of insect observations

Share and view on-screen or print photos of insects; tell the stories behind the encounters.
Bees: How many species are in Vermont? Which ones do you find? Do they all sting? Learn basic ID skills.
Dragonflies: How fast do they fly? How do they catch prey? What do they eat?
Butterflies: How many species? What is mimicry, and how does it benefit them?
Moths: How many species? What makes them different? Why are they important and to whom, and what?
Discovering uncommon insects and potential “first for Vermont” finds. The age of Discovery, Insect-wise, is now.

6. Field walks & follow-up

Start with a field walk: participants observe live insects with cameras/app/guidebooks.
Ask participants to describe what they see, ask questions: What is it doing? Why is it there? How is it surviving?
After the walk: follow up with drawing, writing, and group discussion. Reflect on what was observed.
Talk about the role insects play (directly/indirectly) in ecosystems and in human life.
Encourage behavioral observations: note communication, foraging, mating, hiding, and resting.

7. Post-field reflection: the insect encounter that changed your view

Prompt: “You and the insect looked each other in the eye (metaphorically) — you felt you entered its world. Tell us about that experience.”
What insect encounter stirred awe or mystery? Describe what happened when you stared into a beetle’s eye or a dragonfly’s compound eye.
What’s your first insect story? (The first time you touched, watched, or truly noticed an insect.)
What does observing insects outdoors make you feel? How does it help you understand your own life?
How long did you stay in one spot watching insects? What behavior kept you there?
Which insect behavior or species intrigues you most?
If you were an insect for an hour, which would you be — and why? What would life feel like?
Has your understanding of life grown after seeing the world through an insect’s eyes — how so?
How has recognizing insect intelligence or complexity changed your viewpoint of them?
Describe how scale (time, geography) looks different from an insect’s perspective.
What does intense observation and questioning of insects give you in your own life?

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Expanded version of the pilot lesson plan, including extra prompts and worksheet ideas for hands-on, reflective learning.

Emotionally and observationally heart of the pilot in simple language; it builds in curiosity-driven questions, and adds age-appropriate prompts and worksheets that work across elementary and middle school levels.

🐛 The Bug Mobile: Vermont Entomology Academy

Grades: 3–8
Theme: Discovering the Tiny Worlds That Keep Our Big World Alive
Duration: One 90-minute session or two shorter sessions
Setting: Schoolyard, park, or nearby field

🌿 Program Goals

Inspire curiosity and wonder about insects and their world.
Help students see insects as fascinating, important, and connected to our own lives.
Encourage respect and care for nature through observation and creativity.
Practice simple field science skills — watching, recording, and asking questions.

🪲 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Use basic field tools (magnifying glasses, notebooks, cameras/iNaturalist).
Explore emotional connection: awe, empathy, and curiosity toward insect life.
Identify common insect features and describe their life cycles, habitats.
Explain why insects are important to plants, people, and the planet.
Practice careful observation and reflection.
Express their discoveries through drawing, writing, and storytelling.

🧭 Lesson Outline

🐞 1. Warm-Up: Becoming a Bug Detective (15 min)

Goal: Get students thinking about insects they already know.

Activity:

Ask:

“What’s your favorite bug — and why?”
“Has an insect ever surprised you?”

Show photos of Vermont insects.

“What clues tell you where this bug lives or what it eats?”
What else is happening in this photo?
Create a short caption for your favorite photo — as if the insect were posting it online.

Worksheet Prompt:
📝 Draw or describe a time you noticed an insect up close.
How did it make you feel — curious, nervous, amazed, calm?

🪶 2. What Makes an Insect an Insect? (15 min)

Mini-Lesson:

Body parts: head, thorax, abdomen.
Six legs, antennae, exoskeleton.
Show examples: bees, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies.

Hands-On:
Use toy insects or diagrams. Have students sort “real insects” vs. “not insects” (e.g., spider, worm, fly).

Worksheet Activity:
🖍️ Draw an insect and label its main parts.
Circle or tell what makes it different from a spider.

🌼 3. Field Time: Explore the Tiny World (30–40 min)

Goal: Observe insects where they live.

Set-Up:

Students pick a small observation spot — patch of grass, garden bed, or under a tree.
Use magnifiers, notebooks, or tablets with iNaturalist.
Remind students: look first, touch gently, observe patiently.

Prompt Questions:

What is the insect doing?
How is it moving?
What might it be eating?
Does it seem alone or part of a group?

Worksheet Table:

Observation	Insect Name (if known)	What It Was Doing	Where You Found It	Notes or Sketch
Example: Bumblebee	Bee	Collecting pollen	On a purple flower	Its legs had yellow dust - pollen! (Female)

🌸 4. Reflection: The Insect’s World (20 min)

Group Talk:

“What was the most interesting thing you saw?”
“What surprised you about how insects behave?”
“What did you learn about their world that you didn’t know before?”
If I were this insect for one hour, what would I do?
How this insect’s life reminds me of something in my own: __________

Creative Writing/Drawing:
✏️ Imagine you are the insect you watched.

Where do you live?
What do you eat?
What are you worried about or excited about today?

Older students (grades 6–8) can write short journal entries.
Younger students (grades 3–5) can draw and label their insect’s “day in the life.”

🌎 5. Closing Circle: Why Bugs Matter (10 min)

Discussion Prompts:

“What would happen if there were no insects?”

Insects are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. In nearly every environment, they recycle nutrients into the soil, filtering our fresh water, removing waste and decay, and pollinating more than 180,000 plants to stabilize the soil and supply the oxygen we breathe.

“How do insects help us?”
“What can we do to help insects at home or school?”

Bug Resolution:
Students each share one way they can help insects:
🪴 “I will plant native flowers, shrubs, and trees.”
🚫 “I will not squish bugs I don’t understand.”
🍂 “I will leave leaves and flower stems for bugs to hide in.”

Reflection Quote (read aloud):

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” — Rachel Carson

🦋 Optional Extension Activities

1. Adopt-a-Bug Journal:
Pick one insect you saw today. Observe it again next week. What has changed?

2. Bug Art & Poetry or Story:
Create a collage, sculpture, or haiku about your insect.

3. Create an Insect single-panel comic or joke that insects tell each other.

4. Citizen Science goal: Upload at least one insect observation to iNaturalist and share with friends and family.

5. Bug Fair Presentation:
Each student or group presents their favorite insect — include a drawing, fact sheet, and fun story.

🧰 Materials Checklist

Magnifying glasses
Clipboards & pencils
Field notebooks or printed worksheets
iNaturalist app
Insect guidebooks or picture charts
Art supplies (colored pencils, crayons)
Sample insect photos
Camera, or phone with camera

💬 Takeaway Message

The more you look, the more you see — and the more you see, the more you care.
Every beetle, butterfly, and bee tells a story about how life connects and continues.
When we slow down to watch them, we start to feel that connection, too.

📄 Printable Worksheet Pages

Page 1 – Observation Log

Insect Name: __________________________
Where I Found It: ______________________
What It Was Doing: _____________________
What It Looked Like: (Draw here)
[Sketch Box]

Page 2 – Creative Reflection

If I were this insect for a day, I would: __________________________
My favorite thing about insects is: ______________________________
One way I can help insects is: _________________________________

INVERTING is to realize the AWE and WONDER that comes from observing invertebrates, specifically insects. - Bug-Eyed Bernie

VT Entomology Academy is recruiting: college students, educators, biologists, ecologists, artists, naturalists, other ‘ists…). Please contact me if interested in joining us. VERMONT ENTOMOLOGY has openings for the Board of Directors, the Steering Committee, planning and working group, one-time presenters, and lab and field facilitators.

Vermont Entomology Academy

(Est. October 2025 by Bernie Paquette)

Mission

Inspire curiosity and connection through insect-focused observation and learning.

The tone and identity of the Academy: fun, exploratory, and science education.

Goals

Our goal is to inspire curiosity, confidence, and connection with the often-overlooked creatures that keep our ecosystems thriving. To spread the love of ‘inverting’: The Joy of observing and learning about invertebrates, particularly insects.

Objectives

Through the Academy programs, participants will:

Gain a deeper understanding of the vital roles insects play in human life and ecosystems.

Ecosystem connections are the physical and functional links between living organisms and their environment that support biodiversity and a healthy, resilient ecosystem.

Learn the fundamentals of entomology — including insect definition, anatomy, diversity, life cycles, and lifestyles.

Experience the joy of observing insects in their natural habitats.

Discover why and how to use iNaturalist to document and share observations.

Practice using essential field tools — nets, magnifying glasses, and guidebooks — to explore the insect world up close.

Increase their repertoire of observation methods and improve their observation skills.

Experience the Awe and Wonder of Insects: increased attention to the outside environment. They will be reminded of the smaller, more complex things in the world, like nature that they are part of. They remind us how we are connected to the natural world.

Recognize that insects have families, they need to eat, find a place to call home, avoid danger, and live out their lives, to thrive as individuals and as a species.

You do not need to know the science of insects to be amazed by the insects. But we can be inspired even more when we learn a little about them.

🧡 Takeaway Message

When you watch insects closely, something happens: the small becomes magnificent, the ordinary turns magical. Every beetle, bee, and moth tells a story about resilience, adaptation, and coexistence. The more we notice, the more we belong.