If you’re willing to ‘flap till you flip’ for a kindergarten class next Friday, your talents are needed urgently.
There are some other typical ladybug movements you will also be expected to mimic in your role as a ladybug for the class, including travelling in a spiral and playing dead, complete with waving your legs in the air.
The plea for help comes from Jennifer French, coordinator of Science Opportunities for Kids, who is doing a short program on ladybugs to encourage a young class to look at science in a new way.
She explains that ladybugs almost always travel up if they are on a slope, but they travel around in a spiral if they’re perched on something flatter.
They will often play dead, with their legs in the air, and then, when they’re ready, they unfurl their very-delicate wings (under the red wing covers called elytra) and flap them until they flip over.
She and her staff regularly ‘wrangle’ ladybugs at this time of year as part of their fund-raising efforts for programs, by selling them to gardeners to combat invasions of plant-sucking aphids.
But seriously, if you’re willing to offer up a few minutes of your time to mimic a ladybug this Fri., June 14 in the Mission, please contact SOKS at: 250-763-4427 or by e-mail: sokstaff1@soks.ca
That’s also how you can order ladybugs for your garden and help SOKS purchase needed program equipment at the same time.
You could also visit SOKS staff and their ladybugs at the Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market Saturdays.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
Twitter: @OutsideOkanagan
