This summer festival for all ages is a celebration of insects in all their amazing forms! Witness weird and wacky caterpillars, build homes for native bees, learn about pollinators and pollinator gardening, join bug walks with expert naturalists, chase fireflies in the moonlight, and enjoy a wide range of activities just for kids! Featuring the Vermont Garden Journal’s Charlie Nardozzi.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Caterpillar Lab Exploration Tent | 2 – 7 PM
An over-the-top and up-close caterpillar experience. See enormous caterpillars, fearsome snake mimics, and watch hatching, feeding, and metamorphosis in action!
Presented by: The Caterpillar Lab

Kids Tent | 2 – 8 PM
Games, activities, crafts, scavenger hunts, explorations, and many more activities just for kids!

Butterflies Field Walk and eButterfly | 2:30 PM
Search for and learn about butterflies in the fields and forests of the Nature Center.

Bees of Vermont | 3:00 PM
Did you know that Vermont has over 300 species of wild bees? Come see a variety of specimens and help search the fields for native bees.
Presented by: The Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Bee Barn Building | 3:30 PM
Join farmer John Hayden to build your own home for native pollinators in your backyard and gardens.
Presented by: The Farm Between

iNaturalist Insect Hunt | 4:00 PM
iNaturalist is a simple tool that can help identify mystery species while contributing to citizen science. Come learn the ropes and test this easy app in the field.
Presented by: The Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Odonates Field Walk | 4:30 PM
Hunt for dragons! Learn why these 300-million-year-old predators are the most formidable bugs in your backyard.

Caterpillars Field Walk | 5:00 PM
Look for caterpillars and learn caterpillar-hunting tricks that will help you find Vermont’s weirdest and most wonderful species. Presented by: The Caterpillar Lab

The Emerald Ash Borer in Montpelier | 5:30 PM
The Emerald Ash Borer has arrived in Vermont’s Capital City. Learn about this pest, find out what Montplier is doing about them, and see what you can do to help.
Presented by: The Montpelier Tree Board

Keynote Program: Grow a Pollinator Garden with Charlie Nardozzi | 6:30 PM
Charlie will review the needs of pollinators beyond flowers, and talk about the varieties of flowers, shrubs and trees that can best attract and support pollinators in your yard. Weather permitting, this program will be complimented with a tour of the pollinator gardens at the Nature Center.

Aquatic Invertebrates | 7:30 PM
Explore the river to catch and discover a huge diversity of underwater insects that thrive in the rocks and riffles of the North Branch.

Moth Lighting | 8:30 PM
Get ready to get hooked on moths! A family-friendly presentation followed by a visit to our specialized moth attractor lights.

Fireflies | 9 PM
What better way to celebrate summer than by chasing fireflies in the moonlight? Discover why fireflies are even more amazing than you thought.

What’s for Dinner?
Kool Runninz Jamaican fare, starting at 4 pm.
Pastries and other baked refreshments available all day.