Lakewood Childcare Participates in La...( CLEVELAND July 15 /- This Friday ...),Health

CLEVELAND, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- This Friday, July 18, 2008 the young scientists at Happy Faces At Home Child Care, located in Lakewood, Ohio, will be partaking in Cornell University's Lost Lady Bug Project. They will be at Memorial Field from 3-4 pm netting, photographing, and releasing ladybugs. Memorial Field is located off Valley Parkway in Rocky River Reservation, south of Detroit Road in Rocky River. Their findings will be sent to Cornell's Entomology department as a long distance contribution to their annual Ladybug Blitz. The ladybug, or the lady bird beetle as it is more properly called, is the official state insect of Ohio. Ladybugs are thought of as good luck because they help farmers by controlling crop eating pests like aphids. However, over the past twenty years several native ladybug species that were once common have become rare while non-native species of ladybugs have thrived. In many areas the native ladybugs are being replaced by exotic ones, some native species may have even gone extinct. This survey of the ladybug population will help scientists determine what species live in what area, measure the impact of the non-native population, and help determine ways to protect native species that are so necessary to our ecosystem.

"I'm glad that I can use my biology background while working with the young children at my daycare," Said Maria Kopec, of Lakewood, Ohio's Happy Faces At Home Child Care.

Maria Kopec, founder of Happy Faces, graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in both Biology and Studio Art. Having studied both art and biology, before teaching elementary school, Maria's exciting approach to early childhood education develops an appreciation for learning at a young age by using many hands-on projects, dramatic play, experiments, and field trips.

For more information on Happy Faces At Home Child Care contact Maria at maria_happyfaces@yahoo.com or 216-990-3347. Or visit Happy Faces
'/>"/>