These Scouts don’t mind being ‘bugged’
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Junior Unit 5, from left in front, are Fiona Gilligan, Sydney Stokes, Emma Dunham-Dahle, Lily Hicks, Bryce Cole, Baylor Mason, Clara Scollard, Maya McDonald and Cora McDonald. In back are counselors Lily McDougal, left, and Autumn Bucco. - Photos Submitted
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Brownie Iris Sherrill of Troop 20249 makes insects out of clay in an Arts and Crafts session. - Photos Submitted
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Jiu Bei Childress, an ambassador from Troop 20294, holds a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. - Photos Submitted
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Brownie Lily Neal shows edible insects she made. - Photos Submitted
Sixty West Knox County area Girl Scout campers had an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while experiencing “A Bug’s Life” during a Girl Scout Day Camp, which took place the first week of June at Carl Cowan Park, 10058 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville.
From Monday, June 2, through Friday, June 6, various troops in West Knoxville, Loudon County, Karns and Hardin Valley, led by 30 eighth-grade- and high school-aged Girl Scouts, took part in activities related to bugs, as the theme was “It’s a Bug’s Life.”
“There were rising second grade all the way up to 11th and 12th grades,” said Nicole Berkheimer, West Knox Service Unit Day Camp leadership team. “It went really, really well. The girls had a great time.”
She said the Girl Scout Day Camp is the longest running, girl-planned and girl-led day camp in Knox County.
“It’s been operating consistently since the 1980s,” Berkheimer added. “We had to take a year off for COVID — they did something virtual that year.”
Previously, the girls would do activities, such as boating, but this year, “every activity (campers) did involved insects,” she said. “The girls are put together in little groups called units.
“After the opening and closing ceremonies, they went to the different stations,” Berkheimer added. “There are five different stations the girls went to — Arts and Crafts, Sports and Games, Nature, Songs and Skits and Camp and Cooking Skills — they go through each station three times, and then they get a badge.”
By the end of the week, she said the girls completed 18 activities relating to insects. Those included making their own bug spray, learning the anatomy of an insect by making an edible model, making insect watering stations for butterflies and bees, learning how bees see by creating a three-dimensional flower painted with UV paint and more.
In a Cooking and Camp skills session, the girls “got to try different flavors of crickets,” Berkheimer said. “Honestly, almost all the girls really liked them. They had flavors like sour cream and onion, barbecue. It was really cool.”
“This year, we had six or seven different presenters from the University of Tennessee teaching the campers and their families about various insects,” she added.
“This camp is especially cool because the girls earn a badge that is approved by the (Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians Council).”
Another feature of the camp was a flag ceremony.
The week ended with Family Day, when the campers showed family what they did.
