Families study bugs beneath the surface of Frog Pond

HENDERSON, Minn. (KEYC) -Swishing nets through the water, families got an up close look at what lies just beneath the surface of Frog Pond.

The activity, an educational program hosted by Ney Nature Center teaching children about the pond’s ecosystem.

“They’re getting a good look at some of those macro-invertebrates that they find in the pond because we do have a great diversity of those insects here,” said Ney Nature Center’s Resource Manager and Naturalist Alex Colling.

“It’s also a good way to get kids outside and excited about nature,” continued Colling.

Sifting through scoops of pond water, families identified different forms of insects.

Bugs were placed into cubes filled with water where they could be studied with magnifying glasses.

Common catches of the day were snails, waterbugs and exoskeletons.

The Ney Nature Center sits on 440 acres of land, with trails open to the public.

The land originally homesteaded by the Ney Family was bequeathed to Le Sueur County in 1990 to be used as a wildlife reserve.

“So our land is a county park, but all of our employees are part of the Ney Environmental Education Foundation. So it’s a unique partnership between the county and nonprofit and that we can provide the educational programs and specialized land management activities that we do here,” said Colling.

The pond investigation is just one of the many educational programs the center hosts along with their summer camps.

For more information on upcoming programs and how to sign up follow the link the center’s site here.

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