More than Six-Legs to Volunteer at Raleigh’s Annual BugFest
By JENNA KANE and CAROLINE CORNISH
September 17th was a bright and sunny day for downtown Raleigh’s annual Bugfest, hosted by the Natural Science Museum. Several UPP students volunteered to staff at this annual event which drew in large crowds of all different ages from across the state. This free event asks attendees’ only for their curiosity and engagement as they seek to educate people about these six-legged creatures through games, displays, and professional guest speakers. Bugfest was absolutely packed, overflowing from the museum’s airconditioned sanctuary into the outside community, with even more active games in the blocked off streets of downtown Raleigh.
The booths and events at the festival were diverse, including bringing your own bugs to share at the “Experts Table,” tasting bug-centered dishes at the Cafe Insecta, and an entire booth featuring the moths, fireflies and katydids of the nocturnal kingdom of insects.
The majority of this year’s events revolved around the special theme of ants. In an effort to educate children about the social and biological complexities surrounding the ant, volunteers ran several different stations engaging children to experience life as an ant! Whether it was teaching kids how to create bug “hats,” testing their scent skills in a scavenger hunt game, or showing how to care and hold ants, all UPP volunteers got a chance to interact and teach the community’s children in both English and Chinese. Yinzhou “Tiger” Wang especially enjoyed this aspect, “There were so many kids! It was fun!”
Many students were inspired by the educational and fun atmosphere of the event, “My favorite part was that I could get involved in some academic area. Especially the habitat of insects and their behavior. During the time I introduced the ants to customer and I could let myself enjoy the atmosphere of studying and educating,” said Haofeng “Keanu” Lin of UPP.
As lifelong students, UPP students simply loved playing the role of the teacher. “I introduced the rules of the game for kids. There were six bottles with six different smells. Every child chose one to smell and remember it. Then there was an area with four rows. Every row had six bottles. Children had to match the smells. When they finish the game with the correct answer, they can get a prize. They loved it,” said Feiran “Francis” Zhang. When asked how she would do if she played the game herself she replied, “I tried that! For me it was very easy I think.”
When our students were taking a break from their roles as teacher and coordinator, they were able to enjoy the fest for themselves! “Colorful bug are such cute bugs,” gushed Naining “Naomi” Xu of UPP, one of the several volunteers who taught children how to hold grasshoppers.
Some of the students even ate bugs! When asked about the taste of the wriggly snack Keanu said, “Yeah, there was a lot of juice!”
This fun-filled festival centered around education, community, music, delicious vendors (there were plenty of bug-free options as well) was a great experience for our students, who are still learning about Raleigh. Showing them the delightful and free options around the city will hopefully give students more confidence and appreciation for their small but unique and active host city. Volunteering for these events will certainly give them that strong local connection that UPP strives for!