By Fred Wiechmann, 2004 PLT Outstanding Educator and Principal at Lakeland Christian School, FL.

Many members of the animal kingdom rely heavily on their sense of smell. This sense is used to locate food sources, to mark territory, to attract mates, and to provide protection from predators. Humans, to a limited degree, also rely on smell in these categories.

Yes, we follow our nose to the smell of popcorn. The dirty clothes pile has a special territory in our homes. Perfume and cologne can influence the opposite sex and bad breath can ward off strangers, but we do not rely on the sense of smell to the degree that some of our animal friends do.

The story I am about to tell you is true. It happened on the campus of Lakeland Christian School in Lakeland, Florida. Pennye Peppermint (Peppermintica beetlia), is a unique beetle that lives in central Florida (actually, she is a parent volunteer in disguise, but don’t tell anyone!). She spends the growing season foraging for food to be stored for the winter months for her offspring. Since she has poor eye sight, she relies on her scent-marking ability and acute sense of smell to locate the food when she needs it for her little ones.  She marks her stash with peppermint scent secreted from her forelegs. The food she stores comes in several sources: one appears like a chocolate-coated peppermint patty with a silver foil-like shell, and the other is a red and white striped disk covered with a clear covering secreted by the beetle. The wrapper is similar to the human’s cellophane, a wood product. Pennye has stored the food in numerous locations on the school grounds.

This year four hurricanes swept through Pennye’s most treasured habitat, Faith’s Forest, which is found on the campus of Lakeland Christian School in central Florida.
Fortunately this area suffered only minor damage and her stored food could still be found; however, Pennye was greatly affected. The stress of the four storms and the additional effort needed to store the food took its toll on her health.  Pennye caught a terrible head cold and lost her sense of smell! If that was not enough, being fifty-something, like the principal at the school, Pennye is also known for being absent-minded. She had no idea where she stored her food.

She needed help!

Pennye heard that the second grade class had just studied about the human sense of smell.
They also had instruction on how animals scent mark. They learned how Monarch butterflies find milkweed, how salmon locate spawning sites where they were born, and how deer and other animals mark territory. They had the background information that would help her. Pennye visited their class to tell them what happened. She explained that she could not remember exactly where on campus she stored the food except that she scent-marked the locations and covered the food with leaf litter.

On her way to the classroom she remembered bumping into things like trees, walls, and doors. She was sure she left a peppermint trail on what she bumped into that would lead to where she stored the food.

Maybe they could pick up her trail? She had the students sniff her forelegs (which humans call hands) to help pick up the scent. The class, teacher, and Pennye left the classroom and went around the campus, sniffing their way. They eventually discovered the trail and found the locations of Pennye’s food caches.

When the food was located, Pennye decided to share the food with her helpers. As they enjoyed their snack together, they shared more about the marvels of their five senses. 
This was a good time to review the different ways animals use the sense of smell in unique ways. Students were asked to share their experience as they found the scent-marked trail. As we sat and enjoyed our peppermint treats we asked the following questions: What other senses did members of your group use as they sniffed for the trail?

How did your group communicate with each other? What were the difficulties finding the trail and the food? In what situations do we specifically rely on smell? Is there a sense that humans rely on the more than the others? Much was learned from the experiences of others.

On the way back to the classroom, Pennye told the group that peppermint beetles are found all over the United States with adaptations to various climates and habitats. She also said they had a preference for schoolyard habitats. Hmmm! Could there be some peppermint beetles living near your school?

(This story came from doing the “The Peppermint Beetle” activity from PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide. Try it with your K-6th grade students!)

Fred Wiechmann, 2004 PLT Outstanding Educator & Principal, Lakeland Christian School, FL.