Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
GRAY — Retired science teacher Jon Wallace will present a closer look at insects Saturday, July 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maine Wildlife Park, 56 Game Farm Road, Route 26. “Bugs are everywhere we look, and an important part of our world,” he explained.
Bugs — otherwise called “arthropods” — have been around since the very first animal fossils appeared more than 550 million years ago. Back then, they were the dominant animal group. They are still critical to the Earth’s ecosystems and to our well-being. Bugs pollinate most of our food, eat a lot of pests, recycle waste, make silk, provide dyes for fabrics, are eaten by us and much more. They are the most numerous and varied animal group on the planet, with over 1.25 million different species and with over 10 billion billion (that’s a 1 followed by 18 zeros) alive at any one time!
This exhibit will show some of the world’s largest bugs and how they relate to some of the bugs you may be familiar with here in Maine. You’ll see live bugs, shed insect skins, fossils, insectivorous plants and have the opportunity see what an exoskeleton feels like. Come discover why bugs are the most successful group of animals ever!
In addition, the Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Bug Watch program will have a display and lots of information about the latest invasive pests threatening our plant resources.
