Hello! I have been sewing up a storm! I am working on having at least 10 pairs of insect wings (beetles and butterflies) for folks to wear at events and activities in 2024! They are coming from leftover scraps from other projects of mine and a new hoard of fabric from a good entomologist friend who just got a long arm quilting machine. I am excited to see you fly!

After this post I am working on emails and planning for Bug club in 2024! please email if you are interested to jessica@dragonswynd.com

Bug club 2024 will be so much fun! I have two themes already in mind! “Bugs in my basement” and “Lego bug club”. If those ideas have you excited let me tell you more. Bug club will be held on Sundays once a month from 2-4pm, as well as the Saturday night before from 8-11pm. For 2024 if enough people express interest we will do more than one bug club a month.

Sunday Bug Club is a casual meetup to look at and talk about insects. We wonder a typical city lot looking at the native plants and the insects we see while engaging in discussions about them. Bring your questions, stories, and curiosity. Feel welcome to bring show and tell items. Some of the meetings have themes and activities outside this typical Bug Club, but time for a lovely garden stroll will still be part of the meeting. Suggested items; water bottle, parasol, and weather appropriate clothing.

These themes may change

May 18, 2024, 8-11pm. nighttime bug club. A giant black light shines on a large white sheet as we hang out and wait for the insects to fly in. Even in a city we can call in insects with a bright light. There will be competition with the other city lights but come and discover who shows up to our light. Night flyers like Moths, caddisflies, and beetles are frequent at night lights as well as some day fliers like wasps, lady beetles and flies. As the first one of the season we will see the spring insects and see what changes over the 2024 season of insects.

May 19, 2024, 2-4pm. Bug Club, Basement bugs! Having built our homes into the insect environment it isn’t surprising to have some critters in the house, especially it seems in the basement. Let’s talk about what you have seen in your house, the rules you have for said animals, and what they are up to while sharing that space.

June 15, 2024, 8-11pm. Nighttime Bug Club–Lego and six legs. A giant black light shines on a large white sheet as we hang out and wait for the insects to fly in. Even in a city we can call in insects with a bright light. There will be competition with the other city lights but come and discover who shows up to our light. Night flyers like Moths, caddisflies, and beetles are frequent at night lights as well as some day fliers like wasps, lady beetles and flies. This event will be a preview of the Sunday LEGO bug club. Some built lego insects will on display and ideas will be jumping into your head like a Grasshopper for what insect you will build from LEGO.

June 16, 2024, 2-4pm. Bug Club Lego. I will have some loose bricks for you to use to build your insect (they will not go home with you). A contest will be held for best insect and the winner will get to pick a theme for Bug club! The lego insects will be on display at the July meeting for Bug club. You are welcome to bring built insects made from your own materials.

July 20, 2024, 8-11pm. Nighttime Bug club–Can we get more insects to show up at night? A giant black light shines on a large white sheet as we hang out and wait for the insects to fly in. Even in a city we can call in insects with a bright light. There will be competition with the other city lights but come and discover who shows up to our light. Night flyers like Moths, caddisflies, and beetles are frequent at night lights as well as some day fliers like wasps, lady beetles and flies.

Do we find insects on the flowers at night? Does this yard have enough diversity in night flowers to attract even more insects? How would you invite the insects back to their/this space? Would a green roof or green wall help?

July 21, 2024, 2-4pm. Bug Club, Critical thinking and helping the bees.  Does this yard have enough diversity in plants? What could be added to attract even more insects? How would you invite the insects back to their/this space? Would a green roof or green wall help? Let’s be creative at this meeting and talk about solutions you have in mind.

August 17, 2024, 8-11pm. Bug club and temperature. A giant black light shines on a large white sheet as we hang out and wait for the insects to fly in. Even in a city we can call in insects with a bright light. There will be competition with the other city lights but come and discover who shows up to our light. Night flyers like Moths, caddisflies, and beetles are frequent at night lights as well as some day fliers like wasps, lady beetles and flies.

Do we notice different insects with hot August weather? How does temperature play into insect’s lives?

August 18, 2024, 2-4pm. Bug club, True bugs vs Beetles. Class expectations of insect collections often need multiple Orders of insects as well as different Families of insects. Let’s talk about the massive variety of insects, where they are found, and how they eat. Thinking about insect mouth parts is a fun way to think about how they fit into the ecosystems they live in.

September 21, 2024, 8-11pm. Nighttime Bug Club. Daylight and nightlight. A giant black light shines on a large white sheet as we hang out and wait for the insects to fly in. Even in a city we can call in insects with a bright light. There will be competition with the other city lights but come and discover who shows up to our light. Night flyers like Moths, caddisflies, and beetles are frequent at night lights as well as some day fliers like wasps, lady beetles and flies.

This time of year we notice the sun sets earlier and we can feel the season and our routine change. How do insects detect these cues and what will they do to survive winter? Bring your stories of how you settle in for the winter, or how you overcome those changes.

September 22, 2024, 2-4pm Bug Club and Winter set up. I am a communications person and love to have conversations and get especially excited when we are talking about action steps to improve our joy in our world. What ways do you help insects have what they need to survive their seasonal rest?

 

So put those dates in your calendars and join in Bug club fun!

All ages welcome!

ps you don’t have to love all of the insects to come. I sure don’t like them all. If you do love all of the insects you are welcome too!