It’s time to get excited about bugs.
Guelph Bug Day will take place Sunday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Guelph’s Arboretum.
The event is free and open to all ages and bug catching equipment will be available.
“To a lot of people, bugs are gross, squeamish and weird, but really they’re at the centre of all ecological processes and they’re the most abundant organisms on earth,” said Matt Muzzatti, who is organizing the event with fellow U of G student Sarah Dolson.
“We just really want to open up people’s eyes to the small, beautiful microscopic world that all around them day-in and day-out.”
The event takes place both inside the Arboretum Centre building and out on the grounds.
Inside, there will be interactive displays set up, cockroach races, vendors who make products from bugs, crafts and discussions on various bug-related topics.
Outside, there will be four different guided tours and bug hunts, including one specifically designed for little ones.
“We’ll have all kinds of displays and bugs to hold and for people to see,” Muzzatti said.
Entomo Farms and Crickstart will be offering samples of toasted crickets, products made from cricket flour and other tasty treats.
“I’ve tried some of their products. They’re quite good actually,” Muzzatti said.
Discussions on different topics including insects as food and a pinning workshop will be part of the day.
The event happens rain or shine and updated information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
Muzzatti and Dolson are both members of the Entomology Society of Ontario and at a conference discovered there was some funding for organizing Bug Days in other cities. There have been others in London and Ottawa.
“We thought, ‘Why not? Let’s give it a shot in Guelph',” Muzzatti said. “Guelph’s a great environmental community that is full of entomologists. There’s a lot of bug lovers here.
“Hopefully at the end of the day we’ll set up a nice little insect collection that the public has contributed to and that will be donated to the University of Guelph insect collection for future use.”
