2023 Junior Naturalist Report

Don’t be surprised if you bug out reading this post- these kids are more than just a couple of naturalists, they’re survivalists! During Junior Naturalist our participants had the chance to not just collect insects and plants, but to preserve them as well. In conjunction with Thanksgiving Point, these campers had a ton of fun. On Tuesday the kids visited Aspen Grove, Vivian Park, and the Provo River Delta. Bugs- watch out for these naturalists! They caught everything from wasps to mosquitoes to cabbage white butterflies. 

But these naturalists aren’t just about insects! Understanding plants is crucial to understanding any ecosystem, so they gathered those as well. By the time Wednesday rolled around it was time to do the dirty work- preserving the findings! Plants were pressed and dried before glued to paper, while insects were being pinned. Our friends then made their way to Thanksgiving Point on Thursday to identify all their findings. 

Friday was the day for our naturalists to share what they’d learned. Scientists don’t mind sharing, in fact, they embrace every opportunity! Posters, drawings, and demonstrations were created to show off their incredible findings and hard work. There was nothing junior and everything natural about the great time our participants had during this camp! 

 

Lexia, museum educator