Little Sophia Spencer, eight, has been obsessed with bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her at the age of two at the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory.
Sophia’s mum Nicole says her daughter loves nothing more than reading up on different types of bugs, identifying different types and keeping them as pets.
“If she keeps a bug, she always names it and will talk to them and kiss them,” Nicole told HuffPost. “When she has one, she always makes sure to learn what it eats and what the best habitat for it is”.
However, Nicole was afraid her daughter would lose all interest in her unusual hobby after she was teased at school about her love of bugs.
Nicole decided she had to find a way to encourage the budding entomologist.
So, the thoughtful mum sent a letter to the Entomological Society of Canada asking for help with her dilemma.
A young girl who loves insects is being bullied & needs our support. DM your email & we'll connect you! #BugsR4Girls pic.twitter.com/kjtfSJSlre
— Ent Soc of Canada (@CanEntomologist) August 25, 2016
“I have an eight-year-old daughter who loves to learn and explore the world of bugs and insects. She is often teased at school by her peers because she will proudly display her current bug friend on her shoulder”, Nicole explained.
“She has asked me for over a year if this is a job she can do one day, exploring and learning more about bugs and insects. I have told her that of course she could; however, I am at a loss on how to continue to encourage her in this field of science”.
Nicole asked the society if they could put Sophia in touch with a professional entomologist who might be able to call or write to the little girl to encourage her.
“If someone could maybe talk to her even for five minutes, or who wouldn’t mind being a pen pal for her, I would appreciate it so much.
"I want her to know from an expert that she is not weird or strange (what kids call her) for loving bugs and insects”.
I would like to send her a signed copy of my book. I love beetles so much I'm writing 3 books about them. #BugsR4Girls
— M.G. Leonard (@MGLnrd) August 25, 2016
The society kindly posted Nicole’s letter to their Twitter account, writing: “A young girl who loves insects is being bullied and needs our support. #BugR4Girls”.
The letter soon attracted the attention of entomologists all around the world who tweeted their support.
One PhD candidate Morgan Jackson even got in touch to offer Sophia he chance to work with him on a scientific paper.
The young girl’s work has since been published in the journal Annals of the Entomological Society of America.
The little girl wrote in her section of the paper entitled, “Outcomes and Benefits for Sophia, in Her Own Words”: “If somebody said bugs weren’t for girls, I would be really mad at them, but I wouldn’t do anything, I would just not talk to them. I think anything can be for anybody, including bugs.”
Go Sophia – we think she is awesome!
