The Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, hosted an open house themed “Eight-Legged Encounters” on Mar. 18, drawing about 300 visitors for a family-friendly event centered on arachnids.
The event aimed to educate the public about spiders and related species, offering hands-on experiences and opportunities to ask questions. The museum’s outreach is part of broader efforts by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) to connect research with community needs through educational programs in all 58 counties, as reported by the official website.
Doctoral candidate Emma Jochim co-chaired the event with UC Davis alumnus and junior specialist Felix Duley. Both are from Professor Jason Bond’s lab; Bond serves as director of the Bohart Museum. Duley said, “Many of the kids who came by yesterday were incredibly knowledgeable about arachnids which was so exciting to see! In particular, one little boy and his older brother… spent a fair amount of time checking out the live and preserved arachnids and asking all sorts of questions. The questions included the lifespan of tarantulas, which always gets a surprised response–some females of certain species can live around 20 to 25 years.” He added that visitors also asked about tarantula venom potency and their supposed aggressiveness: “And many people asked about the ‘aggressive’ nature of tarantulas which I was happy to share with them was unfounded; tarantulas found in California are not at all aggressive and have little interest in interacting with humans.”
Jochim noted that common questions included whether brown recluse spiders exist in California—she clarified there are no established populations—and inquiries about black widow danger or why tarantulas are hairy. She displayed several arachnids from her own collection during the event.
UC ANR supports such outreach through funding from public contributions according to its official website. The organization promotes sustainable practices for resilient ecosystems and economic vitality according to its official website, utilizing nine research centers across diverse ecosystems according to its official website. It has gained recognition for linking research directly to community needs according to its official website.
UC ANR is part of the University of California system, managing Cooperative Extension services statewide according to its official website. Each year it conducts over 33,800 educational events with more than 18,400 volunteers involved according to its official website. Through workshops and partnerships, UC ANR delivers science-based information supporting environmental stewardship and community development while mobilizing volunteers and research centers for state issues according to its official website.