Cicada Counting Unites MD Family, Teaches Beauty Of Nature

Bowie MD

01 June, 2021

6:31 PM

Description

BRANDYWINE, MD — A Brandywine family turned this year's cicada swarm into a learning experience. Sarah Frank and her children are competing to see who can find the most critters. Frank's oldest son, 9-year-old Alexander, started the contest. Audrey and Owen, both 6, are putting up a tough fight. Alexander explained that the winner will get the Grand Cicada Award. "All the kids think they're pretty and so do I (probably unpopular opinion)," Frank told Patch in an email. "They are very outdoorsy kids. They live to be outdoors and find lots of creatures." Frank mentioned that her children have found everything from box turtles to luna moths and butterflies. Alexander once caught tadpoles in a stream near their house, so his father set up a fish tank to raise the babies. (Story continues below photo) Audrey Frank, 6, enjoys counting the cicadas. (Courtesy of Sarah Frank) As for the cicadas, Frank hopes their game will reinforce the importance of the environment. "I hope they can find joy in nature--beauty in it--regardless of what it looks like," she added. "The next time this brood will be here, they'll be grown up. They might even have children of their own." These 17-year cicadas are part of Brood X. They burrow underground for nearly two decades and emerge just to reproduce and shed their exoskeleton skins. The insects die after giving birth to the next generation, starting the cycle all over. Based on the last emergence in 2004, state officials expect the cicadas to return to these areas: Allegany CountyAnne Arundel CountyBaltimore CityBaltimore CountyCarroll CountyCecil CountyFrederick CountyEastern Garrett CountyHarford CountyHoward CountyMontgomery CountyPrince George's CountyWashington County (Story continues below photo) Owen Frank, 6, shows off his latest find. (Courtesy of Sarah Frank) The creatures are known for their continuous buzz, which can be as loud as 100 decibels. That's as loud as a motorcycle. "I love the noise they make, their colorfulness, the skins they leave behind," Frank noted. "Everything about them is pretty neat." The family also set up a collection box for all the skins they find. Frank plans on doing "some weird art project with them." "Maybe we'll stick all the skins to their shirts, which will probably gross a lot of people out," Frank concluded. "But I think the kids are going to love it." Patch Editors Deb Belt, Beth Dalbey and Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting to this story. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. Download our mobile application from the App Store or Google Play. RELATED: Will Eating 17-Year Cicadas Make Maryland Pets Sick?Cicadas Emerge In MarylandCicada Invasion Coming So 'Magicicada Months' Declared By HoganYou Can Eat 17-Year Cicadas As They Emerge In Maryland17-Year Cicadas A Call For MD Citizen Scientists To Help In CountCicadas Swarm And Copperheads: Yes, It's A Thing In MarylandBillions Of 17-Year Cicadas Will Emerge; MD Epicenter In 2021 Have a story idea? Please contact me at [email protected] with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.