The Itsy Bitsy World of Spiders and Bugs

Look at the Itsy Bitsy spider that Black Bear found!

What Do We Know About Bugs?

Sitting around our bonfire welcoming our friends and discussing our day is a great way to start! How did you feel as you arrived at Coyote Nature School? Were you excited to read and hear about all the things we were going to explore and experience? What was something new you learned about spiders and bugs today? Can you share some facts with your family? What would you like to learn about our six- and eight-legged nature friends? Owl, Hawk and Bald Eagle had a peek at our big bug book to get some ideas. Bring your suggestions for next week!

Where were those ten bugs and that one spider hiding? Dragonfly hid them around the Hall side yard and in no time flat (maybe with a little help) all of them were found. And of course the star of the show…the big spider! Did this scavenger hunt help you decide what you wanted to look for out on the trails and in Mystery Forest?

After a game of bug relay (don’t forget our spider too!). We held our partner’s hand and headed to Mystery Forest.  What changes did you notice along the trail? Well there was certainly a change in Mystery Forest when we arrived. There’s something decomposing and you could smell it!  Was it upwind or downwind of the log circle? Perhaps we can become decomposition experts? What kinds of spiders and bugs help things decompose?

Where Are You Little Bugs?

What did you notice when you turned over the logs, the rocks and investigated nurse logs?  Slugs, snails, worms, potato bugs, centipedes, beetles, daddy long legs. It was such a tiring job Bald Eagle created a shower made of plants hanging from a tree to cool himself off!

Bugs make their homes in so many different places.  Grey Squirrel confirmed that squirrels are really good at home building too in the book Squirrel’s Family Tree.  Thanks to Grey Squirrel for showing us how to make a squirrel home craft. Where do squirrels store their acorns, nuts and seeds.  What was the name of their storage place?  They don’t always remember where they put their food.  Do you think bugs store food for later?  

Time For Tools

What tools did you choose for our exploration of Sunrise Field? Dragonfly showed us how to use a net to safely catch a butterfly.  Owl and Leopard Frog caught a cricket, Bald Eagle found a slug among the big rocks and named it Sydney and Deer helped keep track of what we found with our checklist.  Are there some tools you would like included for next time?  What would help you find things more easily?  Finally!  A spider!  Why do you think it was difficult to find any spiders and other insects such as bees and wasps?  

Spiders…To Be Continued!

What did you reflect about in your journal today? There were lots of spider drawings but have you ever thought about what a spider web feels like?  Think about what a web looks like.  What materials would you use to make your own web?  How would you create a web? What would your plan look like? What about the design? What materials? Put yourself in the mind of a spider!  What would they want?  Brainstorm your ideas and we look forward to seeing them come to life on paper and outside in the nature we love to explore at Harrington!

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