Has your passion influenced others ?

[tv]

4-H is a club for kids that gives them the opportunity to learn and participate in a wide variety of activities that were traditionally tied to country life. This ranged from things like raising animals (cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc.), to sewing and canning food. Over the years, the activities have grown to include things like photography, entomology, rocketry, art, and other hobbies. It was definitely a cool organization to give kids a chance to try out a lot different things with access to local "experts". I say "experts", because depending on which club you belonged to (they usually had a couple in a given county), a parent with little/no experience may have to step in to lead an activity. That's where I started my first insect collection.


Thanks for sharing Chris, those cases are great. Definitely better than any I've ever seen at the county fairs in rural Kansas. As a beetle guy, I can definitely tell that there seems to be a preference for butterflies/moths. Although I guess that's understandable since in Wisconsin you're not going to see as many interesting beetles as you do further south.

[bugboys3]

Oct 8, 2021 6:26:29 GMT -8 tv said:

4-H is a club for kids that gives them the opportunity to learn and participate in a wide variety of activities that were traditionally tied to country life. This ranged from things like raising animals (cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc.), to sewing and canning food. Over the years, the activities have grown to include things like photography, entomology, rocketry, art, and other hobbies. It was definitely a cool organization to give kids a chance to try out a lot different things with access to local "experts". I say "experts", because depending on which club you belonged to (they usually had a couple in a given county), a parent with little/no experience may have to step in to lead an activity. That's where I started my first insect collection.


Thanks for sharing Chris, those cases are great. Definitely better than any I've ever seen at the county fairs in rural Kansas. As a beetle guy, I can definitely tell that there seems to be a preference for butterflies/moths. Although I guess that's understandable since in Wisconsin you're not going to see as many interesting beetles as you do further south.

As part of their collections they had to collect insects from different orders. But yes, butterflies & moths were better represented than other orders. Although Coleoptera and Odonata were very well present in their collections. I did not post a picture of every case that they brought to our county fair. My oldest son had 6 large cases. My younger son had 9 cases by his senior year in high school and my daughter had 4 or 5 cases.

[yorky]

I think if you are infectious enough with your enthusiasm for a subject then it's bound to rub off on others. As a boy I was so fascinated by entomology and collecting that at one time I had a dozen or so school friends coming with me on collecting trips.I have had the pleasure as I got older of attending exhibitions and showing off my specimens, attending insect fairs and I'm sure set off a spark in certain individuals to follow suit. The look on the face of a fascinated youngster makes it all worthwhile.