Welcome, I'm Maia Holmes.
Founder · Entomologist · EducatorI founded Elytra Education to bring living arthropods into the classrooms, libraries, and community spaces of Boulder County and the Front Range — and to build lessons that fit what your group is already learning rather than replacing it. Two of my greatest passions are teaching and entomology, so teaching entomology for the last eleven years has been incredible! After receiving my B.S. in Conservation Biology, I knew that community engagement was more important to me than field work. Frustrated with how little of my undergraduate degree had touched on the most important wildlife– bugs! – I focused my graduate degree on how to use insects to teach about greater science concepts. As a mom, biologist, and teacher, I see every day how the future of our local (and global) ecology depends on the love and care from everyday people, not just scientists. The good news is that I believe everyone has compassion for the natural world, and they’re just looking for the right way to participate. For Title I and underserved schools, please reach out: pricing adjustments are available.
"Everyone loves bugs, you just haven't been introduced in the right way - yet!"
While entomology is my main focus, it is just part of my experience in professional science communication. Over the last decade, I have coordinated the public outreach and community engagement for grants as the Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Agricultural Biology at Colorado State University. I have created engaging materials for a variety of topics, including integrated pest management, potato genetics, forest ecology, and most recently the community composition of the aerobiome. I use my experience with curriculum development to create materials that engage K-12th grade students, and my local knowledge of STEM-based community programs and events to provide grant-specific deliverables. I have worked on small-scale local grants as well as multiple multi-million dollar federal grants through the NSF, the USDA, and the USGS.
Want some examples of my work?
Scripps News - https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/the-beneficial-role-of-zombie-mushrooms
PBS/KQED Deep Look - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gOKd4cqFaY
Scientific American - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/eaten-crushed-or-starved-male-tarantulas-trade-their-life-to-impregnate-a-mate/
CBS Colorado - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otH6E8B-tl0
Welcome, I'm Maia Holmes.
Founder · Entomologist · EducatorI founded Elytra Education to bring living arthropods into the classrooms, libraries, and community spaces of Boulder County and the Front Range — and to build lessons that fit what your group is already learning rather than replacing it. Two of my greatest passions are teaching and entomology, so teaching entomology for the last eleven years has been incredible! After receiving my B.S. in Conservation Biology, I knew that community engagement was more important to me than field work. Frustrated with how little of my undergraduate degree had touched on the most important wildlife– bugs! – I focused my graduate degree on how to use insects to teach about greater science concepts. As a mom, biologist, and teacher, I see every day how the future of our local (and global) ecology depends on the love and care from everyday people, not just scientists. The good news is that I believe everyone has compassion for the natural world, and they’re just looking for the right way to participate. For Title I and underserved schools, please reach out: pricing adjustments are available.
"Everyone loves bugs, you just haven't been introduced in the right way - yet!"
While entomology is my main focus, it is just part of my experience in professional science communication. Over the last decade, I have coordinated the public outreach and community engagement for grants as the Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Agricultural Biology at Colorado State University. I have created engaging materials for a variety of topics, including integrated pest management, potato genetics, forest ecology, and most recently the community composition of the aerobiome. I use my experience with curriculum development to create materials that engage K-12th grade students, and my local knowledge of STEM-based community programs and events to provide grant-specific deliverables. I have worked on small-scale local grants as well as multiple multi-million dollar federal grants through the NSF, the USDA, and the USGS.
Want some examples of my work?
Scripps News - https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/the-beneficial-role-of-zombie-mushrooms
PBS/KQED Deep Look - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gOKd4cqFaY
Scientific American - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/eaten-crushed-or-starved-male-tarantulas-trade-their-life-to-impregnate-a-mate/
CBS Colorado - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otH6E8B-tl0
Get in touch →