Educator Trek: Butterfly Pinning and Backyard Bug Collecting

This hands-on professional development workshop teaches educators how to collect, preserve, and mount tropical butterflies and local arthropods. It provides practical entomology skills that can be directly integrated into classroom curriculum or outdoor science programming.

Participants will learn professional pinning and mounting techniques using diverse insect specimens. You will explore effective strategies for backyard bug collecting to build your own study collections. Beyond the technical skills, the workshop offers 3 contact hours toward Continuing Education Units or Criteria III credits for the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program. Attendees receive a formal certificate and an EE form upon completion to verify these hours.

This event is designed for all educators, including teachers, administrators, pre-service students, and non-formal instructors. The workshop operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and spaces fill quickly. Full payment is required at registration via credit card. We aim to keep this opportunity accessible to everyone, so please contact Megan Davis if the registration fee presents a financial barrier to your participation. Register now to secure your spot and gain valuable tools for your next science lesson.