Fauna: the animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period. E.g. ‘(the flora and) fauna of Great Britain’.
What a beautiful world we live in and what amazing creatures we share it with!
Although the fauna of a region includes the birds, fish and mammals that live there, for the purposes of this blog, we’re going to start small and enter… Bug World! There is no shortage of interesting specimens to investigate – so grab a magnifying glass and a transparent receptacle if you have them; if not, a keen pair of eyes and a big dollop of curiosity will do! OK, let’s get going…
1. Eyes Down
You might think that the ground around your home and in the local parks is not very interesting, other than for playing games. However if you take the trouble to look a little harder, carefully probing the nooks and crannies, you can discover all kinds of fascinating creatures who are not only fun to observe, but who have a great deal to contribute to the health of our environment.If you want a starting point, you can use this bug-spotter sheet.
Remember!
Leave no stone (sensitively) unturned!
Be very careful near water!
Beware stinging insects!
2. Spot It And Tot It!
Tot up the number of times you spot each insect. Then, to be really professional, record your findings in a tally or bar chart, being sure to note details like the location, weather conditions, time of day etc. and sign it: (your name), Entomologist** An Entomologist is someone who studies insects.
If venturing outdoors isn’t an option, or if you simply want to find out more, there is a wealth of information here.
For younger explorers, download the Out of the Ark Music I Spy in the Garden resource.
3. Snap It!
Many of us have been awestruck by the amazing shots of wildlife we have seen in programmes like Blue Planet. Although most of us can never hope to achieve those results, which take years of patient effort, you could perhaps make a start by creating a Virtual Bug Gallery. If you have access to a camera, a phone or an iPad, you will find tips on how to photograph insects here.Share the link with your friends and hold a ‘Bug Snapper of the Week’ competition.
4. Creepy Draw-lies
Create a creepy-crawly collage by making an outline drawing of one or more of the insects you have observed. Find out how here.
Use natural materials like dried leaves, grass and flowers glued to add colour and texture. You could annotate your collage with some of the facts you have learnt. Why not do several and compile your own Bug Encyclopedia?
5. Calling Bug Lightyear!
As you no doubt know by now, bugs can be little heroes in that many of them are essential in keeping our ecosystem healthy. Lots of them also happen to look particularly weird and wonderful, so why not be inspired and turn a bug into a superhero?Draw a costume-design based on the shape and colour of your chosen bug.
Choose the superpower you think suits it best.
Give your bug a superhero name.
Write down your ideas for some fantastic adventures you could enjoy together!
6. Mini Breaks For Minibeasts
I’m sure we would all love a break in a four-star hotel, and our creepy-crawly friends aren’t any different. They really appreciate it when we provide some luxury accommodation for them. Here’s how you can build your own High-Rise Hilton For Happy Bugs.Why not serenade them with a suitable song, such as If I were a Minibeast from My World: Minibeasts.
Written by Sue Langwade – Guest Writer for Out of the Ark Music
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USED IT? LOG IT! Most schools have a CWCL licence from Christian Copyright Licensing Limited (CCLI) - more information can be found here. This licence grants permission to display song lyrics and music from Out of the Ark Music’s Words on Screen™ Singchronize™ Player and CD ROMs, on any projection screen as well as download and share lyrics and music. Whenever you use our songs, please make note of your usage and then log your songs on your CCLI copy report, so that song writers and copyright holders are paid for their work.
Out of the Ark Music has been providing schools across the country – and world – with wonderful primary school musicals and primary school songs for nearly 30 years. Our Christmas musicals and nativity plays make children sparkle and shine, year after year, as they proudly perform their school Christmas play. Our extensive collection of fun and joyous Easter songs, harvest songs, school assembly songs, leavers songs and even space songs, fill schools with laughter and give students and teachers alike, a reason to sing every day of the week. We’re glad you’re supporting us in our dreams of creating the best music for schools around the globe. Read more about us here.
