A hallmark of young children is their deep curiosity about nature works and their willingness to observe, ask questions, and experiment. To stoke their interest in science, we love having distinguished researchers share their experiences in the field. Recently, the children were excited to hear from “Dr. Bugs,” aka Dr. Mark Moffett, who is an entomologist and wildlife biologist for the Smithsonian as well as an intrepid explorer. In a virtual visit to TCS, Dr. Bugs recounted some of the incredible adventures he’s had while searching for and studying small creatures around the world.
Dr. Bugs is especially fascinated by social insects and amphibians, and has looked for them in difficult environments around the world, whether it means climbing hundreds of feet to the treetops of the rainforest, or belaying a quarter-mile deep into a sinkhole in a remote part of Argentina. He has become a renowned photographer for National Geographic, using his camera as a kind of microscope to enlarge and illuminate the behaviors and complex social lives of very tiny animals. In his adventures as “the Indiana Jones of entomology,” he has discovered three new species—one of which, a tiny brown tree frog, was named in his honor.
After Dr. Bugs shared his incredible pictures and adventures in the field, the Primary K children were eager to discuss the fascinating facts they learned. One standout detail was that biologists wear pantyhose in the jungle to protect themselves from leeches, which sparked a lot of curiosity. They were interested to learn that spiders must shed their skin to grow, and that rainforest scientists use ropes to swing from tree to tree, which led to imaginative discussions. The children loved the amazing variety of frogs in Dr. Bugs’ pictures and were especially intrigued by the tarantulas, noting their hairy appearance and the surprising fact that some of their hairs are poisonous. Their excitement in recalling these details showed how deeply they were engaged by Dr. Bugs’ eye-opening stories about the rough, sometimes dangerous work of observing species in the wild.
The Graders were intrigued by some of the perils Dr. Bugs has encountered when conducting his research, like accidentally sitting on a venomous snake. They were amazed to learn how scientists scale the highest treetops, and to see his photograph of the world’s smallest frog resting on a person’s face. The tiny frog might have been their favorite image, but a close second was the picture of weaver ants creating a bridge between treetops using their own linked bodies. They wondered aloud how long the supporting ants could hold up the bridge, and what will happen when their construction ultimately comes apart.
Dr. Bugs’ message to our students was to always be curious, and to keep an eye out for the small species that are so important to our ecosystems. We hope they are inspired by his visit to spend a little time examining leaves and spiderwebs, listening for frog chirps, following ant trails, and keeping an eye out for interesting insects.
Maureen
