Teaching children about the crucial roles of insects in nature

Prof Johnnie van den Berg, an entomologist at North-West University, is passionate about insects and their critical contribution they make to the environment by pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. He is equally committed to teaching preschool children about the importance of insects.

- Annelie Coleman

FAST FACTS

Children are the future curators of the natural world and will one day be responsible for maintaining the environment, says entomologist Prof Johnnie van den Berg.

Van den Berg holds ‘Bug Buddies’ days, during which he teaches young children about biodiversity and the role of insects in the environment.

There are about 100 000 insect species in South Africa, of which 99,9% pose no danger to humans.

Prof Johnny van den Berg has for many years been running ‘Bug Buddies’, his fun and highly interactive lessons aimed at teaching children about biodiversity from an early age. While these are currently limited to nursery schools in Potchefstroom and the surrounding areas, he would like to expand them to more schools to create increased awareness of biodiversity and the importance of insects in the world.

Van den Berg, a professor of entomology in the Department of Zoology at North-West University, has a particular passion for sharing his love of insects with children.

A Bug Buddies lesson is about an hour long, and carefully structured to hold children’s attention. Van den Berg and his university students usually set up four or five display stations with drawers containing big and small preserved insect specimens before the class starts.

The lesson kicks off with a lecture on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ insects, and why all insects are important for the environment. The class is then divided into small groups to visit each of the stations where Van den Berg’s university students discuss the insects in the collection with them.