Thanksgiving Closure
2025-11-27 10:00 - 2025-11-28 17:00 UTC
The DVEC will be closed Thursday–Friday, November 27–28 in observance of Thanksgiving.
We’ll reopen with regular hours on Saturday, November 29.
We’re so grateful for our community and everyone who visits, learns, and explores with us.Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday with your loved ones!

Upcoming Events December 2025
2025-12-01 10:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00
Hi everyone!

The DVEC has a fun and educational lineup of events this December 2025!

Dive into hands-on science, creative seasonal projects, and winter-inspired adventures into nature’s tiniest inhabitants.

Stay tuned as we share each activity throughout the month, and tell us which one you’re looking forward to the most!

Crazy Science – Hibernation
2025-12-03 11:00 - 2025-12-06 11:30
Crazy Science – Hibernation
This week’s Crazy Science dives into how animals survive winter by slowing down, conserving energy, and using special adaptations to stay warm.
Discover how hibernation works in mammals, reptiles, and even insects—and learn why arthropods rely on strategies like diapause, supercooling, and sheltering to make it through the cold months.
Then join us in the classroom for a hands-on activity comparing fur, blubber, and feathers to see which insulates best when you place your hand (safely!) into ice-cold water.
📅 December 3rd–6th, 2025⏰ 11 AM📍 Disease Vector Education Center, St. Augustine, FL
Explore how winter shapes wildlife behavior—from cozy sleepers to cold-hardy critters built for snow.
Fun Fact: Some frogs—like the wood frog—can freeze solid in winter and thaw back to life in spring! They protect their cells with natural antifreeze compounds.

Sunday Funday – DIY Snowmen
2025-12-07 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday – DIY Snowmen
Get ready for a frosty burst of creativity at this week’s Sunday Funday!
Build and decorate your own adorable snowmen using fun winter materials that bring the magic of the season to life. Perfect for families, little artists, and anyone who loves a cozy craft day.
📅 December 7, 2025
⏰ 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM
⏸️ Break 12 PM to 2 PM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center, St. Augustine FL
Join us for a whimsical winter workshop and take home your very own handmade snowman.

Crazy Science – Snowflake Science
2025-12-10 11:00 - 2025-12-13 11:30
Crazy Science – Snowflake Science
This week’s Crazy Science explores the icy world of snowflakes as we uncover how these winter wonders form!
Learn the science behind crystal growth and compare the symmetry of snowflakes to arthropods.
Then wrap up with a hands-on look at crystal formation and take home your own paper snowflake templates to create frosty designs of your own!

📅 December 10th–13th, 2025
⏰ 11 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center – St. Augustine, FL

Join us as we dive into the science beneath the snow!

Sunday Funday – Crafting Snowflakes
2025-12-14 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday – Crafting Snowflakes

Get ready for a cozy winter-themed Sunday Funday!
Create your own snowflake ornament decorations using fun craft materials and cool winter shapes.
Whether you’re decorating for the season or just enjoying some creative time, it’s the perfect way to celebrate winter magic at the DVEC!

📅 December 14th, 2025
⏰ 10:30 AM–3:30 PM
⏳ Break 12 PM–2 PM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center – St. Augustine, FL

Let your creativity snow!

Crazy Science: Candy Cane Chemistry
2025-12-17 11:00 - 2025-12-20 11:30
Crazy Science: Candy Cane Chemistry
This week’s Crazy Science gets sweet and scientific as we explore Candy Cane Chemistry! 🍬
Join us for a hands-on activity testing which liquids melt candy canes the fastest while learning about solubility and dissolution.

Participants will observe, predict, and compare how different liquids interact with candy canes and discover why some substances dissolve faster than others.

📅 December 17–20, 2025
⏰ 11 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center, St. Augustine, FL

Will your candy cane disappear in seconds or stand strong?

Sunday Funday: Winter Wreaths
2025-12-21 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday: Winter Wreaths

Join us for a festive Sunday Funday filled with creativity as we craft Winter Wreaths!
Decorate and design your own winter wreath using seasonal materials and festive details to celebrate the holidays.
This relaxing, family-friendly activity is perfect for getting creative and adding a handmade touch to your winter decor.

📅 December 21, 2025⏰ 10:30 AM–3:30 PM⏸ Break: 12 PM–2 PM📍 Disease Vector Education Center, St. Augustine, FL

Come craft, decorate, and celebrate the season with us.

Holiday Hours
2025-12-24 10:00 - 2026-01-04 17:00
Holiday Hours Update!

The DVEC will be closed on the following dates in observance of the holidays:
• December 24, 2025 – December 25, 2025
• December 31, 2025 – January 1, 2026

We will be open and welcoming visitors at our regular hours:
• December 26–28, 2025
• January 2–4, 2026

Programming will be on pause as we finish planning events for January. Fish Frenzy will still be available at 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. You can expect our event calendar for January 2026 next week!
Although there is no scheduled programming, guests visiting on January 2nd, 2026 can enjoy fun goodies as we welcome everyone back to the DVEC in the new year! This will be on a first come first serve basis while supplies last.

✨ Normal programming resumes on January 7, 2026.

Thank you for a wonderful year of learning and exploration. We look forward to seeing you soon and starting 2026 with exciting new experiences at the DVEC!

January 2026 Upcoming Events
2026-01-01 10:00 - 2026-01-31 17:00
Hi everyone!
The DVEC is kicking off January 2026 with a fun and educational lineup of winter events! ❄️
Explore hands-on science, icy experiments, and creative winter activities as we dive into how insects, arthropods, and nature adapt to the cold. From goo and ice investigations to winter wiggles and survival science, there’s something new to discover all month long.
✨ Don’t miss our January 2nd special welcome-back event with fun goodies while supplies last!
Stay tuned as we highlight each activity throughout the month, and let us know which one you’re most excited for!

Crazy Science: Goo, Ice, and Bugs
2026-01-07 11:00 - 2026-01-10 11:30
🧪 Crazy Science is getting chilly! ❄️🐞

Join us for Goo, Ice, and Bugs as we dive into a cool science demo exploring non-Newtonian fluids, how temperature changes texture, and what this can teach us about insect cuticles and winter survival adaptations.

From gooey science to icy surprises, this hands-on demo connects physics and biology in a fun, way—perfect for curious minds of all ages!

📅 January 7–10, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center

Come learn something new and discover how bugs handle the cold!

Sunday Funday: ARTic Slime!
2026-01-11 10:30 - 15:30
❄️ Sunday Funday: ARTic Slime! ❄️
Get ready to squish, stretch, and explore some wintery science, Florida style! 🧊
Join us for Sunday Funday as we create snow-like ARTic Slime, a hands-on activity that captures all the magic of winter without the cold.

📅 January 11, 2026
⏰ 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM
⏸️ Activity paused from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

A fun and squishy, science craft for all ages that brings wintery fun to life, no cold weather required! We can’t wait to see you there!

#SundayFunday #ARTicSlime #DVEC #FamilyFun #HandsOnScience #STEMFun #WinterScience #StAugustine

Crazy Science – Freeze in a Flash!
2026-01-14 11:00 - 2026-01-17 11:30
Crazy Science – Freeze in a Flash!

This week’s Crazy Science dives into the chilly world of freezing and rapid temperature change!

Explore how freezing affects different materials through icy observations, and learn why rapid freezing plays an important role in science, nature, and the arthropod world.
Get ready to think fast as we experiment, observe, and uncover what happens when things freeze in a flash!

📅 January 14–17, 2026
⏰ 11 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center – St. Augustine, FL

Bundle up your curiosity and join us for some cool science fun!

Sunday Funday – Cool Creations
2026-01-18 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday – Cool Creations

Join us for a colorful and creative Sunday Funday featuring watercolor ice cube painting! 🎨❄️
Watch colors melt, mix, and flow as painted ice transforms into vibrant artwork. This hands-on activity is perfect for all ages and blends creativity with a cool twist on art and science.
📅 January 18, 2026
⏰ 10:30 AM–3:30 PM
⏸️ Activity Paused (Center is still open!): 12:00 PM–2:00 PM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center – St. Augustine, FL
Stop by, get creative, and make something cool together!

Crazy Science-Surviving the Winter
2026-01-21 11:00 - 2026-01-24 11:30
Crazy Science-Surviving the Winter
Crazy Science is going winter-wild at the DVEC!
Join us as we explore how animals survive the coldest season of the year, from worms hiding underground to fish swimming beneath frozen lakes. Through hands-on investigations and cool science demos, we’ll uncover the clever adaptations that help critters beat the cold.

📅 January 21–24, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM
Disease Vector Education Center – St. Augustine, FL

This interactive program is perfect for curious minds of all ages who want to discover how winter biology works, no snow boots required!

Sunday Funday-Winter Wiggles
2026-01-25 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday-Winter Wiggles
Winter Wiggles are taking over Sunday Funday!
Get creative as we craft wiggly worm puppets and learn how worms survive chilly winter weather by burrowing underground. It’s a fun, easy, and hands-on activity where creativity gets to wiggle and squirm!
📅 January 25, 2026⏰ 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM⏸️ Craft paused from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (We are still open!)
Perfect for families, kids, and anyone who loves a little crafty science fun, drop in and join us!
#SundayFunday #WinterWiggles #DVECFun #FamilyActivities #STEMCrafts #HandsOnLearning #WormScience #StAugustineEvents

February 2026 Upcoming Events
2026-02-01 10:00 - 2026-02-28 17:00
Hi everyone!

The DVEC has a fun and educational lineup of events this February 2026! Join us for hands-on science, creative activities, and fascinating explorations into the amazing senses and survival skills of insects and other arthropods.

From learning how mosquitoes and other vectors use their super senses, to heart-themed and special Valentine’s Day fun, there’s something for curious minds of all ages.

Stay tuned as we spotlight each event throughout the month, and tell us which one you’re most excited to attend! #CommunityEvents #FamilyFun #STEMEducation #February2026 #LearnWithDVEC #StAugustine #STEM #Entomology #DVEC #STEAM

Crazy Science: Super Senses
2026-02-04 11:00 - 2026-02-07 11:30
Crazy Science is sharpening your senses!
Join us for Super Senses as we explore how insects use sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound to find food, avoid danger, and survive in their environments.
Through fun mini-demos and hands-on challenges, this interactive program gives you a bug’s-eye view of the world while testing your own senses along the way. It’s a perfect mix of biology, discovery, and fun science for curious minds of all ages!

📅 February 4–7, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center

Come experience the world the way bugs do and discover just how powerful tiny senses can be! 🐞✨

Sunday Funday: Buggy Headbands
2026-02-08 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday is getting buggy!
Join us for Buggy Headbands, inspired by our Super Senses session, where creativity meets insect science. As you build your own insect-inspired headband, you’ll learn how antennae help bugs smell, feel, and sense the world around them.

Fun fact: Some insects can even “smell” with their antennae from far away using tiny sensory hairs! You’ll also get the chance to try our supertaster demo with taste test strips and see how your sense of taste compares.

📅 February 8, 2026
⏰ 10:30 AM–3:30 PM (Break 12–2 PM)
📍 Disease Vector Education Center

2026-02-11 11:00 - 2026-02-13 11:30
Crazy Science is all about Heart and Flow!
Join us as we dive into the amazing world of the circulatory system and explore how blood moves through the body to keep us alive and healthy. We will also uncover the sneaky arthropod vectored diseases that can affect the heart and why understanding vectors matters for public health.

This program features a fun, hands on heart pump demo where you can see how the heart pushes blood through the body, plus an exciting erupting heart activity that shows pressure and flow in action.

📅 February 11–13, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center

Come learn how your heart keeps things flowing and how tiny vectors can make a big impact!

Love Bites: Valentine's Day Event
2026-02-14 10:30 - 15:00
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Join us at the Disease Vector Education Center for a day of hands-on learning focused on kissing bugs and the science behind them.

📅 February 14, 2026
🕥 Goodie bags available first come, first served starting at 10:00 AM
🧪 Classroom Crazy Science at 11:00 AM featuring interactive demonstrations
📄 Fun educational worksheets available all day
🎮 Kissing Bug Trivia at 2:30 PM

Fish Frenzy will continue at its normal scheduling: 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.

We’ll explore how kissing bugs feed, how disease transmission works, how the heart can be affected, and what you can do to stay protected.

Educational programming. Engaging demos. Interactive trivia.
Join us for a fun Valentine’s day event that connects science, public health, and arthropods. No reservation needed!🪲

Crazy Science: HOT or COLD?
2026-02-18 11:00 - 2026-02-21 11:30
Crazy Science: HOT or COLD?

Is a mosquito warm-blooded or cold-blooded? What about birds… or reptiles? Join us as we explore how different animals control their body temperature and why it matters for disease vectors like mosquitoes and ticks.

Through quick challenges and hands-on demos, we’ll discover how temperature affects movement, behavior, and even the spread of disease.

February 18–21, 2026
11 AM
Disease Vector Education Center

Come test your knowledge and feel the heat (or chill)!

Sunday Funday: Survival Style
2026-02-22 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday: Survival Style 🔥❄️
Get creative as we design wearable art inspired by warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals! Make your own survival mask or charm bracelet featuring creatures from fuzzy and feathered to scaly and six-legged.
📅 February 22, 2026
10:30 AM–3:30 PM
Paused 12:00 PM–2:00 PM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center
We can’t wait to see your survival style in action!

No Scheduled Events
2026-02-25 10:00 - 2026-03-01 17:00
As we gear up to celebrate DVEC’s 2nd Anniversary, we are taking a short pause in select daily programs to focus on planning exciting new experiences, anniversary events, and fresh activities for our community!

Your continued support, participation, and enthusiasm are what make this center thrive. Because of all of you, we are growing, evolving, and preparing to roll out new features and updates that will enhance your visit even more.

Programs Paused: February 25 – March 1, 2026
Crazy Science, Feature Creature, and Mosquito Cravings
Fish Frenzy will continue at its usual times: 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Scavenger Hunts will still be available throughout the week at regular distribution times, with the exception of 12 PM – 2 PM and after 4 PM. Will we also have activity sheets available in the classroom.
Sunday Funday will feature free-form art and offering materials from some of our favorite past crafts.

During this planning period, our team will be finalizing anniversary event details, adjusting program schedules, and introducing new interactive elements and activities for guests to enjoy during their visit. We cannot wait to share what is coming next!

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about our 2nd Anniversary celebration and new programming updates.

Thank you for being part of our growing community of learners, explorers, and science enthusiasts. The best is yet to come at DVEC.

March 2026 Upcoming Events
2026-03-01 10:00 - 2026-03-31 17:00
Hi everyone!
The Disease Vector Education Center has an exciting lineup of events this March as we head into spring with hands-on science, creative challenges, and interactive discoveries about insects, ecosystems, and disease vectors. From exploring iridescent insect colors and water habitats to becoming vector detectives and learning how mosquitoes find their hosts, there is something for curious learners of all ages.
This month also marks a very special milestone for us. On March 26, we will celebrate the DVEC’s 2nd Anniversary with our special event Mission Vector Control. Join us for a mission-style experience where visitors can explore the center, solve challenges, and learn how mosquito control professionals protect public health in our community.
Programs include daily science sessions like Crazy Science, hands-on creative activities during Sunday Funday, and interactive discovery opportunities throughout the center.
We also have some exciting updates and improvements planned for the center, and additional announcements will be shared soon as we approach our anniversary. There are many awesome new things in the works, and we cannot wait to share them with you.
Stay tuned as we spotlight each event throughout the month, and tell us which one you are most excited to attend.

AMCD Workshop
2026-03-04 08:00 - 2026-03-06 17:00
The Anastasia Mosquito Control District will be hosting the 21st Annual Arbovirus Surveillance and Mosquito Control Workshop this week. As a result, the Disease Vector Education Center (DVEC) will experience higher than usual visitation and foot traffic throughout the facility.

This workshop brings together mosquito control professionals, international scholars, public health experts, and disease vector specialists who are visiting to share research, collaborate on vector control strategies, and tour our facility. We are excited to welcome these experts and highlight the work being done in St. Johns County and beyond to monitor and reduce mosquito-borne diseases.

Because of the increased number of professional visitors, the center may feel busier and louder than usual. Staff will do their best to help maintain a comfortable environment and assist visitors as needed.

At this time, regular programming remains paused while we support the workshop activities and finalize our March Programming, we have so much in store for our 2nd anniversary. However, guests can still enjoy several fun, educational, and interactive activities during their visit.

Available during this time:
• Scavenger hunts and self-guided activities throughout the center
• Interactive exhibits and informational displays
• Fish Frenzy at the usual times

We appreciate your understanding during this exciting professional event and thank you for helping us welcome colleagues from across the country and around the world to the DVEC.

No Scheduled Programs
2026-03-04 10:00 - 2026-03-08 17:00
As we continue preparing for DVEC’s upcoming 2nd Anniversary celebration, our pause on select daily programs will extend for one additional week.
Programs Paused: March 4 – March 8, 2026
Crazy Science, Feature Creature, and Mosquito Cravings
Fish Frenzy will continue at its usual times: 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Scavenger Hunts will continue to be distributed during regular times, except between 12 PM – 2 PM and after 4 PM.
Sunday Funday will feature free-form art and crafts using materials from previous activities.
We appreciate your understanding as we balance workshop activities, anniversary planning, and upcoming program updates. These efforts help us continue improving the visitor experience and expanding educational opportunities at the DVEC.
Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to sharing our 2nd Anniversary programming and new activities soon.
Notice:
March 4-6, 2026:
The Anastasia Mosquito Control District will also be hosting its 21st Annual Arbovirus Surveillance and Mosquito Control Workshop, welcoming various professionals. Because of this, the facility will experience higher than normal visitation and increased foot traffic throughout the week.
Guests may see scientists, researchers, and mosquito control professionals touring the center as part of the workshop activities. See our previous post for more details.

Crazy Science: Iridescent Wonders
2026-03-11 11:00 - 2026-03-14 11:30
Crazy Science: Iridescent Wonders 🪲✨
Join us at the Disease Vector Education Center for this week’s Crazy Science as we explore the dazzling colors of the insect world. Many insects shine with brilliant colors not from pigments, but from structural coloration that bends and reflects light.
Discover how these amazing adaptations work and see real insect specimens up close.

📅 March 11–14⏰ 11:00 AM📍 Disease Vector Education Center

Sunday Funday: Sand Bottle Art
2026-03-15 10:30 - 15:30
Sunday Funday: Sand Bottle Art
Join us at the Disease Vector Education Center for a creative Sunday Funday inspired by coastal habitats and ocean ecosystems. Create your own colorful sand bottle art using layered sand to design a unique keepsake to take home.
This hands-on craft is perfect for families and young artists looking to explore creativity while enjoying a fun day at the center.

📅 March 15, 2026⏰ 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM⏸ Activity paused 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM📍 Disease Vector Education Center

Stop by, get creative, and make your own sandy masterpiece.

Crazy Science: Water Worlds
2026-03-18 11:00 - 2026-03-21 11:30
Crazy Science: Water Worlds
Dive into this week’s Crazy Science at the DVEC as we explore how everyday objects can become mosquito hotspots. Learn how standing water supports mosquito life cycles and what to look for in your own environment.

Become a habitat detective in our interactive game, identify real-world breeding risks, and take part in a hands-on mosquito life cycle activity for all ages to see how these insects grow and develop.

📅 March 18–21, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM
📍 Disease Vector Education Center

Join us to explore, investigate, and discover how you can help reduce mosquito habitats in your community.
#CrazyScience #STEMEducation #DVEC #MosquitoScience #PublicHealth #LearnWithDVEC #StAugustine #STEAM
