bug scouts
Did you know that in just the last 40 years, insect populations have decreased by 45%? Despite their monumental role in maintaining our ecosystems and food supply, you likely don't think too much about the little critters that share our planet.
Bug Scouts is a program designed to change this. Led by a charismatic anteater named Scout, Bug Scouts teaches children about the miniature life that surrounds them through puppet short films, DIY projects, and badges. Big change starts in small places - in this case, with bugs!
Scout is the main character of the Bug Scouts show. They're also a giant anteater, a species labeled vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature for the same reason that bug populations are declining: habitat loss.
Scout is passionate about entomology. Ideally, they'd spend their time in the forest searching for cicadas, but they're similarly eager to lead their local troop of Bug Scouts. Scout knows conservation is key - most of their bug-hunting supplies are created by hand from repurposed household waste.
meet the troop leader
key themes
Bug scouts rests on three core ideas:
conservation
community
connection
The world has been thrown into natural disaster after natural disaster as climate change accelerates. The only way to stop the damage is to take action, and the only way to get people to take action is to get them to care. Bug Scouts know that starting small can make a big difference.
Technology, among other factors, has led to the increasing alienation of people from both each other and their environments. When we get outside, we get to know each other and our planet. With this, Bug Scouts can better care for their friends, themselves, and the world we all live in.
Bug Scouts aim to bring people together, not in spite of, but in celebration of, our differences. Like ants, we're stronger when we work together! We don't pick favorites; looking out for the smallest and strangest in our communities is key in both friendship and entomology.
Keep checking this page for updates on the Bug Scouts Guidebook, episodes, illustrations, and puppet progress! More will be added to this page as it is completed.
Bug Scouts is still in the early stages of creation, but you can keep up with its progress on my Instagram and Twitter! If you'd like to contribute to the project, feel free to donate to my ko-fi.