🪲 Itsy Bitsy the praying mantis, The Colossal Collective
“Come watch and interact with a 20 footlong dancing praying mantis! Bitsy will meander the Garden from 10am-1pm.”
🪲 Insect-eating bats, Lucky Peak’s Bri Ford
“Bats love bugs! Do you know how many insects the little brown bat eats in a single night? Join Ranger Bri Ford from Lucky Peak State Park to learn more about the bats of Idaho and the bugs they like to munch on!”
🪲 Beekeeper, Rena Alexander
“We bring an observation hive full of LIVE honeybees. Our mission is to educate the public about honeybees and the importance of preserving them. We are a nonprofit and geared towards public education.”
🪲 Bug Interaction, U of I Minidoka Jason Thomas
“Come and meet a wide variety of bugs from around the world including some of the world’s largest cockroach species, a giant millipede, tarantulas and more. Those who are calm and prepared will get to hold some of these amazing live specimens.”
🪲Carnivorous plants, Nick Roberts
“Bug eating plants! Nick from Gem State Carnivores will be at Bug Day to answer all your carnivorous plant questions.”
🪲Dragonflies
Preserved dragonflies from the Boise area! Take an up close look at them, and participate in an ecosystem card game. Learn where dragonflies fall in the food chain, and have fun with a “build a dragonfly” activity!
🪲Entomologist + Insect Safari, ID Dept Agriculture’s Paul Castrovillo, OJS Museum’s Alan Gillogly , OJS Museum’s James Ryan / Identifying caught specimens from Insect Safari and ID at Ask An Entomologist
“Entomologists love to talk about insects and it seems like the public always has “bug” questions (especially “What IS this??”). Catch an insect at the Botanical Garden, or bring one from home, or just show up at the “Ask an Entomologist” table with a question and we will attempt to help you discover what your critter is and why it is important to have it in the ecosystem.”
🪲Macroinvertebrates, Watershed’s Cindy Bushe
🪲Local pollinators, Natural Resource Conservation’s Mindi Rambo
“Meet some of the bugs that live in southwest Idaho, play a round of insect trivia, and take home some information from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service on how to garden for beneficial insects and pollinators. “
