Carver County is a fast-growing community with a significant portion of the population comprised of families with school-age children.
Even with this growth, about 55% of the land is agricultural, 20% is undeveloped, 7% is parks and recreation and 8% is residential.
This current land use creates the perfect opportunity to access a diverse insect population.
What happens when you combine youth, families and a lot of bugs?
Carver County 4-H saw this as a unique opportunity to engage youth in real-world, hands-on scientific learning and skill-building by creating the We Dig Bugs Entomology Club.
They submitted this idea for the 2023 Helping Hands Award and were awarded $400 to complete their project. 4-H youth leaders planned and implemented the creation of the club while supported by an adult club leader.
Why insects?
Insects are everywhere, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. They are both familiar and fascinating.
Youth members learned about insect classification, insect diversity and the role of insects in our food through hands-on activities, model-building and interactions with specialists.
Discussions and questions were based on youth members' interests, observations and experiences while collecting insects. Despite having vastly different experiences and prior insect knowledge, all of the members were able to pursue something they were passionate about in the club.
Turn your ideas into action
Does your 4-H club or group have an idea but need help getting started? The Helping Hands Award is for Minnesota 4-H youth who want to turn their ideas into action.
There were 24 projects selected in 2023, with average awards between $300 and $2,000.