The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), is celebrating 35 years of its annual Bug Fair with its showing of “Bug Fair Connected,” a virtual edition of NHM’s popular festival.
On Saturday, May 15, NHM will present local stories, display the most unique specimens in its collection, and highlight entomologists from all over the globe.
The virtual event will be hosted on Youtube. It begins at 9 a.m. with “A Ponding We Will Go,” as museum educators present the best practices for viewing nature exists below the water in our Nature Gardens pond.
The final program — “Encouraging Diversity in Entomology,” which starts at 4 p.m. — features founding members of Entomologists of Color (EntoPOC) who share their efforts towards diversifying the field of entomology through recruitment, retention, and activism/advocacy.
That session will also highlight several EntoPOC-supported students discussing their research, and conclude with an audience Q&A.
In-between is a “Sing Move Play!” segment of original songs and movements by performing artists, an episode on “bug cuisine” that includes a live taste test, an Instagram offering on what ancient insects and invertebrate looked like, and a close-up views the museum’s Entomology Research collection.
Viewing is free with an RSVP made to https://nhm.org/bugfair.
For more information or to become a museum member, visit NHMLAC.ORG/join.