If you love writing, whether it's about current events, your own interests, or simply creative ideas, we want YOU! 

If you think our website is ugly and you want to make it better... well, we also want YOU!

Bugs are the divisive creatures in the animal kingdom. People experience a wide range of emotions when they see bugs: excitement, wonder, fear, disgust, rage, curiosity. When our school was started, there was even a discussion about whether people would want to go to a school named BUGS (another option was “BLUE”: Brooklyn League of Urban Explorers).

I have a few distinct memories of bugs from childhood: watching lines of ants carry food bigger than their bodies back to their nests; crying after getting stung by a bee and putting my whole foot in mud to make it feel better; chasing monarch butterflies as they floated over the playground; and, of course, mosquito bites. Other than that, my mind was mostly thinking about soccer, friends, and homework.

This year was my first year as a 6th grade Sustainable Design teacher. One of the skills we learn in 6th grade is identifying plants and animals. As I researched what animals we might find in our garden and other natural spaces like Greenwood Cemetery & Prospect Park, I realized that bugs were by far the most diverse group of animals. Yes, people have spotted over 185 species of birds in Greenwood Cemetery, and you can find a range of other mammals and reptiles around the city like squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, turtles, snakes and even coyotes. However, nothing comes even close to the number of bugs: there were over six thousand types of insects observed in NYC just last year. 

So I made it a mission this past year to identify as many bugs as I could. Below are some of the bugs I found and where I found them. I encourage you to stop by the next flower patch or rotten log you find and see what bugs are there. Make sure to stay calm and give them space: any bug that can bite or sting you will only do so if they feel threatened. Now, onto the bugs!

Turning over Logs 

A great way to find a bunch of bugs is to gently turn over a log in Prospect Park. Make sure to flip the log back over when you’re done! 

Garden Floor

On the floor of the garden, dead leaves and other plant parts collect. This attracts decomposers like earthworms and millipedes, plus animals that feed on those critters like the Bald Faced Hornet I found (be careful, she stings).

The Rest of the Animal Kingdom

While I found the most number of bugs, I also found other types of animals this year, below are some of my favorites.

This project would not have been possible without the help of the plant and animal identification app Seek, and the generous and immensely knowledgeable community on iNaturalist. Also, thank you to the curious students & staff who encouraged me along the way, especially the NGSS club, Edan Tenorio, & Jack Nguyen. Finally, thank you to Matthew Willis for leading an incredibly informative and fun bug walk that taught me so much about bugs living in our neighborhood. All photos were taken by me on my Pixel 6a except the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, which was taken by Ms. Monica.