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The children, who ranged in age from 9-17, split into teams to collect and examine as many species of insects as they could find. Along the way, the experts from Rose Pest Solutions provided instruction on how to build collections while taking the opportunity to transform the park into an outdoor classroom to teach the children about the insects. Each team’s collection was scored in categories ranging from largest bug to most species found with prizes awarded at the end of the day.
“We came out here to have fun but also to teach the children about environmental science, biology and entomology,” said Rose Pest Solutions Director of Education and Training Gene White, who has coordinated and modified event since its inception. “The format we’ve created is great for the kids because they learn about insects in an interactive and real environment, which makes the event entertaining and educational.”
The concept of the Bug Rodeo for the children was conceived when the former director of the Children’s Home for Detroit was driving through Stoney Creek Metropark and saw Rose Pest Solutions’ technical staff hosting a “Bug Rodeo” for its supervisors and sales team in the park. He asked Rose Pest Solutions President Russ Ives if the company would be interested in hosting a similar event for the Children’s Home of Detroit. Ives thought it would be an ideal way for Rose Pest Solutions to provide community service in a meaningful way.
Over the years, the Bug Rodeo evolved, but the focus has always remained on providing the children with an educational experience that allows them to explore the outdoors and have fun in the process.
The end result has become one of the highlights of the summer activities schedule at the Children’s Home of Detroit. “It’s something that is different and new for the kids, so that makes it one of our favorite activities,” said Children’s Home of Detroit Supervisor of Activity Therapy Dawn Grenier. “The initial reaction from a lot of the kids is, ‘Bugs? Yuck, that’s gross!’ Then they start walking and talking with the entomologists from Rose. All of a sudden they get caught up in the thrill of the hunt. The kids are excited and proud to catch something and want to show us. It’s great to build self-esteem.”