An Excellent Experience. . . .

The great thing about a child being a member of the Amateur Entomologists' Society's Bug Club www.amentsoc.org/bug-club/   is the opportunities that arise. You do not have to be Gifted and Talented, you just need to have a passion for invertebrates. If you are a parent or teacher of a child who shows a distinct interest in this subject then I strongly recommend you look into membership. As your child is a minor, the great thing is that they will need to be accompanied by an adult and you then get to have some great experiences too! Recently the AES Bug Club held a Young Entomologists' Day at the Oxford University Natural History Museum www.oum.ox.ac.uk/ and everyone had a really fantastic day. There were a whole host of activities going on from microscopy, handling live invertebrates, behind the scenes tours, pinning and pointing workshops let alone wandering around the stunning museum itself. The children get to meet the staff, be inspired by them and have the privilege of entering the moth ball infused, secret hallows that hide behind a museums corridor doors. The experts available to talk and teach that day where, amongst others, Darren Mann, Assistant Curator of the Entomology Department and Hillery Warner, Specimen Preparator of the Entomology Department in the London Natural History Museum www.nhm.ac.uk/ . Children learn so much through experience and that keeps their learning alive.

Sent to Prison!

I love what I do! I get to teach, enthuse and delight. I help some people overcome their fears and others to see close up for the first time, a creature they did not know even existed. I get to meet loads of interesting people, explore behind the closed doors in museums and collections as well as help out practically. I am always learning so much from others and even get to go out to some exotic locations. Best of all I can share my passion for invertebrates with my family and anyone I meet. It was a first for me though, to be sent to prison! Luckily for me they did not throw away the key! I recently did a Bug Roadshow Event at the Oxford Castle Unlocked www.oxfordcastleunlocked.co.uk/ a Saxon Tower that became a prison in 1071 until 1996. It was great fun, a brilliant attraction and I met loads of fantastic people including the very lovely staff. ( Highly recommend a guided tour on your own or with the kids - superb experience!). I have a genuine affection for all of my invertebrates and it never ceases to amuse me how people react to that fact. There has been very little study, if any, done into the distinct individual characters of invertebrates but I can reliably tell you they are most certainly individuals. They also respond to handling and become rather tame. I do have favorites, I will admit, and even within the same species certain individuals stand out from others in character. A successful day for me is when people go beyond their initial reaction of fear or disgust and are instead awed and enthralled. We should appreciate invertebrates, without them we as a species, might as well throw away the key to life!

Great place to park the kids!

Phil Mercer from Radio Oxford getting to know Linda the Leaf Insect Phyllium philippinicum.

Entomologists in the making!

Really fantastic day, yet again, at the Amateur Entomologists' Society's Bug Club  www.amentsoc.org/bug-club/ Young Entomologists' Day hosted by the Oxford University Natural History Museum www.oum.ox.ac.uk/ . Thirteen children took part from 7 to 14 years old and presented a series of extremely interesting talks on invertebrates. The topics varied from Ladybirds to Cockroaches and from Glow Worms to Tarantulas. It was truly inspiring to see these children individually take their place at the front of a packed lecture theatre and talk confidently about their chosen subject. After each talk the child then fielded a selection of questions posed by members of the audience. Their scope of knowledge on their chosen subjects was exceptional. I was impressed by the level of work, both research and ICT skills, these children had put into their presentations and they all deserve an upstanding ovation! A very BIG well done to all of you!

An impressive group of brilliant young people, all of whom deserve admiration for their presentations.

Show time......

Get ready for some great entomological shows coming up. They kick off on April 1st (no joke!) with the Newark/Midlands Entomological Fair at the Grove Leisure Centre in Newark NG243AL. There will be loads of amazing stands there with invertebrates for sale, equipment and friendly factual advice to help the amateurs as well as the experts. If you are in the area go along and if you are slightly further away it is worth the journey.....

A Malay Ghost Grasshopper, Aularches milliaris a really superb species.

Have a go kids!

Here is a great date for your diary.....11th February 2012. This is the Young Entomologists' Day at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. www.oum.ox.ac.uk/ It is open to any child under the age of 18 who can present a short talk on anything related to the invertebrate world and is organized by the Amateur Entomologists' Society's Bug Club www.amentsoc.org/events/listings/0518/  ( Read loads more about the AES and Bug Club in archived blogs). It is the most fantastic opportunity for children to exercise their public speaking skills, research abilities and have some real fun too. As well as the talks there are bug handling sessions, behind the scenes tours and a drawing workshop guided by wildlife artists Clare Newman and Cath Hodsman. Why not have a look at the link and enter your child, or if you are a teacher, suggest it to anyone you think might benefit from the experience. It truly is a fantastic day and a must for any budding young entomologist. Go on kids, have a go!

Stick Insect, Cockroach and Land Snail - all great invertebrate topics!

An icy chill...

The icy chill is back just in time to remind us that winter still has a good kick left in it. I am already starting to get busy visiting schools and always have a panic about traveling the exotic invertebrates in freezing weather. Cold temperatures are a serious threat to these insects who really do not appreciate anytime spent below a toasty 18C. Spare a thought here for the Woolly Bear Caterpillar. Catapulted to fame in the recent BBCs Frozen Planet series with Sir David Attenborough. www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Arctiidae#p00l72dn   Even the most hardened souls can not help but to feel compassion for this little fellow as it determinedly spends a mind blowing 14 Arctic winters, quite literally frozen, for 4 months at a time. The secret ingredient here is cryoprotectant. This is a natural antifreeze that the caterpillar produces to protect its body tissue from damage caused by freezing and thawing. Pretty cool stuff !

In the tight grip of winter.