Sunday Funday: Bloom Burst 🌱
2026-04-26 10:30 - 15:30 UTC
Sunday Funday: Bloom Burst 🌱
Get creative and go green at the Disease Vector Education Center with this eco-friendly STEM activity. Turn recycled paper into seed bombs you can plant and take home while learning how small actions can support healthy environments.
All participants will create their own seed bombs and take part in a fun, hands-on activity that blends art and science.

📅 April 26, 2026⏰ 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM⏸ Paused 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM📍 Disease Vector Education Center

#SundayFunday #DVEC #STEMLearning #EcoFriendly #MosquitoPrevention #FamilyFun #LearnWithDVEC #StAugustine

May Update!
2026-05-06 10:00 - 2026-05-10 17:00
DVEC Update: Planning Week and Exciting Changes Ahead
As we prepare for our busiest season, the Disease Vector Education Center will be pausing programs from May 6–10 for a dedicated planning week. This time allows our team to develop new and engaging experiences designed to better serve our community. Don’t worry there will still be many fun experiences for you to enjoy when you visit!
We are working on:
• New programs and interactive activities• Updated and improved educational experiences• Anticipating future adjustments to operational days and hours to better align with visitor needs• A refreshed lineup for Crazy Science• Brand new scavenger hunts tied to our new DVEC Passport System
We are also excited to share that ticks will be featured as our Vector of the Month in May in recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, helping bring awareness to prevention and disease vectors.
Our full May calendar will be released later this week, so stay tuned for all upcoming events and updates.
Please note: DVEC will be CLOSED May 24, 2026 in observance of Memorial Day.
We look forward to sharing these new experiences and opportunities to learn. Thank you for your continued support as we grow and improve.
Let’s continue to learn and protect our community together!

May Upcoming Events
2026-05-14 08:00 - 2026-05-31 17:00
Get ready for a month of investigations, insect intel, and scientific discovery at the Disease Vector Education Center. Beginning May 14 at 11:30 AM, our brand-new Crazy Science series, “Classified Critters,” will take guests through the fascinating world of classification, taxonomy, and arthropod diversity through age-based mission levels. From Arthropods 101 to advanced entomology operations, each session builds on the science of how we organize and identify living things, with a special focus on insects, mosquitoes, and other disease vectors.

Also happening this month:
• Classified Critters Missions available Wednesdays–Fridays following our 11:30 AM showings, check the showtime dates for the lessons on this flyer.
• Weekend Whodunits available Saturdays and Sundays, where agents can solve a mysterious case file centered around that month’s featured disease vector
• Feature Creature spotlight showings at 11:30 AM check the flyer for the dates.
• Vector Cravings: Tick Edition featuring Lyme disease awareness

Join us as we investigate the science behind the natural world and uncover how classification helps scientists better understand mosquitoes, vectors, and the incredible diversity of arthropods around us.

CRAZY SCIENCE: Classified Critters
2026-05-14 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-20 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-21 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-22 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-27 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-28 11:30 - 12:00
CRAZY SCIENCE: Classified Critters
Check for dates below!
This May, agents of all ages are invited to investigate the secret world of arthropods, insects, and scientific classification during our brand-new Crazy Science series at the Disease Vector Education Center.
Showing at 11:30 AM, each mission level is designed for a specific age group and builds deeper into the science of taxonomy, nomenclature, insect diversity, and how scientists classify living organisms, including mosquitoes and other disease vectors.

5/14 — Egg: Bug Briefing
All Ages
Start your training with Arthropods 101. Learn what makes an insect and insect, discover the major arthropod groups, and explore the basics of scientific classification.
5/20 — Larva Instar 1: Invertebrate Intel
Grades 1–2
Young agents will uncover what invertebrates are and investigate how arthropods differ from animals with backbones.
5/21 — Larva Instar 2: Insect Recon
Grades 3–4
Discover the defining traits of insects and compare them to spiders, crustaceans, centipedes, and other arthropods.
5/22 — Larva Instar 3: Operation Orders Decoder
Grades 5–6
Decode the world of insect orders and explore the incredible diversity of insects scientists study around the globe.
5/27 — Larva Instar 4: Taxonomy Files
Grades 7–8
Dive deeper into taxonomy, scientific naming systems, and how organisms are grouped and identified.
5/28 — Pupa: Entomology Ops
Grades 9–12
Advanced agents will investigate phylogeny, nomenclature, classification systems, and the science behind entomological research.

Each Crazy Science session also includes interactive activities, missions, and classification challenges designed to turn guests into official critter investigators.

Join us this May as we crack the case of classified critters together.

Holiday Closure Notice
2026-05-24 10:00 - 17:00
Holiday Closure Notice

The Disease Vector Education Center will be closed on Sunday, May 24,2026 , in observance of Memorial Day.

Regular operations will resume during our next scheduled day of operation.

Thank you for your understanding, and we wish everyone a safe holiday weekend.

June 2026 Upcoming Events
2026-06-01 10:00 - 2026-06-30 17:00
🎬 June Is Packed with New Missions, Mysteries, and Critters at DVEC!
Get ready for an exciting month of learning, investigation, and hands-on discovery at the Disease Vector Education Center!
This June, we’re continuing our newly expanded Crazy Science program with Classified Critters, taking guests on a journey through the fascinating world of arthropod classification. From beginner bug detectives to advanced entomology operatives, there’s a level for every age group.
Looking for an extra challenge? Try our Monthly Missions! Continue your classification training with Classified Critters activities after each Crazy Science program, or put your detective skills to the test with our all-new Weekend Whodunits, where a new mystery awaits investigation each month.
Our Feature Creature programs return with some incredible arthropods:
🕷 Ursula the Pink-Toe Tarantula
🪳 The Hissers, our Madagascar Hissing Roaches
Join us for Vector Cravings, where we’ll take a closer look at Culex quinquefasciatus and its connection to West Nile virus. During our live mosquito attraction demonstration, we’ll discover what makes someone a bigger mosquito magnet and explore the factors that can make mosquitoes prefer one person over another, while busting common myths along the way. We’ll also share practical tips to help reduce mosquito bites and protect yourself throughout mosquito season.
Please note that the Disease Vector Education Center will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026- Saturday, June 20, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth. Regular operations will resume on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Whether you’re solving mysteries, meeting live arthropods, learning scientific classification, or exploring mosquito-borne diseases, June is full of opportunities to discover something new.
We look forward to seeing you at DVEC as we continue learning and protecting our community together!
#DVEC #AMCD #ClassifiedCritters #WeekendWhodunit #FeatureCreature #VectorCravings #Entomology #STEMEducation #ScienceEducation #MosquitoControl #WestNileVirus #CulexMosquito #PublicHealth #FamilyActivities #LearnAndExplore #ProtectOurCommunity #StJohnsCounty #DiseaseVectorEducationCenter #MedicalEntomology #CrazyScience

June 2026 Programming Announcement
2026-06-03 10:00 - 2026-06-07 17:00
Our regularly scheduled Crazy Science, Feature Creature, and Vector Cravings programs will be paused from June 3–7, 2026 as our team prepares exciting new experiences for the summer season.

While these programs are on break, guests can still enjoy Fish Frenzy, our scavenger hunts, and monthly self-guided missions throughout the week.

When programs return, visitors can look forward to:
• New and expanded Crazy Science lessons: We’re continuing Classification Critters topic series into June while we finalize two additional educational themes for later this summer.
• Interactive Feature Creature: Experience a lesson on our live arthropods, meet them in person, and get a chance to test what you learned with a trivia challenge.
• Weekend Whodunit: Our brand-new monthly mystery activity where guests become investigators and solve a different public health entomology-themed case each month.
• Hurricane Season Tips and Information: This month marks the start of hurricane season, stay tuned to our posts on how storms can impact mosquito populations and what families can do before and after severe weather to reduce mosquito breeding around their homes.
• Vector of the Month: This month follows Culex Mosquitoes, with a special focus on West Nile virus, mosquito surveillance, prevention, and how our community can help reduce mosquito-borne disease risks.

We appreciate your patience as we continue improving programs and creating new ways for guests of all ages to learn about vectors, public health, and the important work of mosquito control.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements and program schedules. We can’t wait to share what’s next and continue learning and protecting our community together!
