SMC VT Summer Bug Camp 2026: Day 1 Field Surveys, Microscopy, and Invertebrate Discovery

The first day of Bug Huggers Adventure Camp at Saint Michaels College in Colchester, Vermont, 2026, was a great success, with students arriving between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. After everyone settled in, campers created name tags and took a tour of the facilities, becoming familiar with the spaces we would be using throughout the week.

At 9:30 AM, students geared up and headed into the Saint Michael's College Natural Area. There, they learned basic field survey techniques while searching for invertebrates and setting up pitfall traps to help sample species. The field session continued until 11:30 AM and provided many opportunities to observe insects and other invertebrates in their natural habitats.

Lunch was held from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, giving students a chance to relax and discuss the morning's discoveries.

After lunch, campers examined the invertebrates they had collected using stereo microscopes. From 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM, students explored the remarkable diversity of structures, colors, and adaptations visible only under magnification.

From 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, students returned outdoors to the campus green, where they collected additional insects and participated in bug-themed active games that combined fun with entomological learning.

The final instructional session of the day took place from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the projector room. Students analyzed selected specimens and learned about the many forms of invertebrate life, comparing different groups and discussing their ecological roles.

All students were picked up by 3:30 PM after a full day of field exploration, scientific observation, and hands-on learning. We look forward to seeing what discoveries await on Day 2.

Report from instructor Cole Logan (edited).

Bug Houses, and Insect booklets, provided by Mercedes Oxford Kemp

 

THE CAMPERS expressed interest in: 

• Would love to expand my knowledge of insects and am highly attuned to the effects of minor changes on ecosystems.  A camp like this would provide me with the opportunity to expand my passion for protecting and studying wildlife.  My role models are the Kraft Brothers, whose shows on diverse animal life have led me to declare that I would like to be a wildlife veterinarian and biologist when I grow up. 
• I would love to talk about and find bugs all day with other kids and adults who also love bugs. 
• Find interesting organisms, learn about them, their life cycle, and their environment.
• Use cool science gear in cool science rooms (labs) - dissecting scopes, loops, counting grids, and preservation techniques.  Hike around, make observations, read in a sit spot, or draw observations in a cool science notebook.
• Very interested in observing bugs, any chance I get. I spend time in the summer flipping rocks with a friend to find creepy crawlies. I always want to know the ID of what I have found. One of my favorite calm activities is to watch videos of other folks flipping rocks to find critters.
• Learn about ecosystems, learn to use scientific tools.
• Find cool bugs in nature!
• Learn about insects, appreciate their purpose.