Graduate students and doctoral candidates from the University of California, Davis, shared their expertise on insects with the public during the 15th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. The event, also known as “Super Science Day,” took place at various sites across campus and included a major open house at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
According to organizers, an estimated 5,000 visitors attended the daylong event. The Bohart Museum was one of twelve museums and collections featured. Long lines formed throughout the day as families and community members engaged with young entomologists at display tables.
The participating entomologists were primarily graduate students or doctoral candidates. Marissa Sandoval from the Santiago Ramirez lab and Lexie Martin from the Rachel Vannette lab discussed bees with attendees. Doctoral candidate Emma “Em” Jochim from the Jason Bond lab talked about spiders, while Carla Cristina (CC) Edwards from the Geoffrey Attardo lab answered questions about mosquitoes. Haylie Wilcox from the Neal Williams lab spoke about bumble bees. Sol Wantz, who holds a bachelor’s degree in entomology from UC Davis and plans to pursue a PhD program, demonstrated insect pinning techniques for visitors.
The next open house at the Bohart Museum will focus on arachnids under the theme “Eight-Legged Encounters.” It is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane at UC Davis. Admission and parking are free.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), which is affiliated with the University of California, plays a key role in enhancing lives across California by sharing science-based practices statewide through research and outreach initiatives (source). The organization maintains nine Research and Extension Centers that serve as living laboratories in different ecosystems (source), along with offices in all 58 California counties (source). Glenda Humiston serves as vice president of UC ANR (source).
For more than a century, UC ANR has provided resources in nutrition, food systems, youth education, farming practices, environmental conservation and wildfire protection through collaborations with communities statewide (source).