A Good Day to Learn About Science

Doctoral candidate Rebecca Godwin of the Jason Bond lab speaks not only English, but Spanish and Swahili. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And in some cases, they conquered--they conquered their fear or avoidance of insects.

Such was the case at the Bohart Museum of Entomology during the ninth annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, an annual science-based event showcasing 13 museums or collections across campus.

At the Bohart Museum, visitors held Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick insects and praying mantids. They viewed hundreds of butterfly specimens. They marveled at rhinoceros beetles and bark beetles. They examined specimens under a microscope. They learned about the many species of bees.

It was a good day to learn about science.

Incorporating diversity, multilingual scientists wore name tags indicating the languages they speak. Arachnid specialist Rebecca Godwin, a doctoral candidate in the Jason Bond lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology,  wore a tag indicating she speaks Swahili. 

The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, houses nearly 8 million insect specimens, as well as a live "petting zoo" and a gift shop. Open to the public Monday through Thursday, it is located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane.

The Bohart Museum periodically hosts open houses (free and family friendly) throughout the academic year. The next open house, themed "Busy Bees and their Microbial Friends," is set from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 21.

In addition to the Bohart Museum, participating museums or collections at this year's Biodiversity Museum Day: The Botanical Conservatory, Arboretum and Public Garden, California Raptor Center, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Paleontology Collection, Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Viticulture and Enology Culture Collection, Anthropology Museum, Center for Plant Diversity, Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, Nematode Collection and Marine Invertebrate Collection.

If you missed it, calendar the 10th anniversary Biodiversity Museum Day in 2021. The event always takes place the Saturday of Presidents' Day Weekend.

Also coming up is the 106th annual UC Davis Picnic Day on April 18 heralding "Envisioning Tomorrow."  Like Biodiversity Museum Day, it's free and family friendly but not all the museums or collections.