The Bohart Museum of Entomology is planning a green event, and it has nothing to do with sustainability. This program is called “What Has Six Legs and Is Green All Over?” — and it is scheduled for Sunday, March 21, in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Day (four days earlier).
“What Has Six Legs and Is Green All Over?” is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. It is the second in a series of weekend openings, all free, as the Bohart reaches out to parents and others “who can’t visit us during the week,” said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator.
Dedicated to teaching, research and service, the museum houses the seventh largest insect collection in North America — more than 7 million specimens, many of which are green.
“The live green ones are walking sticks and walking leaves,” Yang said. A new addition is a six-inch walking stick that is a bright kelly green. “This is what inspired the St. Patrick’s Day connection,” Yang said..
In many cultures, St. Patrick’s Day is associated with luck, she said. Some cultures in Europe and Asia consider green crickets lucky, “so we will have some crickets and grasshoppers from the collection on display.”
The museum’s other weekend openings also are keyed to special days:
• Saturday, April 17, Picnic Day — Open all day.
• Saturday, May 8, the day before Mothers Day — With a moth theme: “Moth-ers Day.” 1 to 5 p.m.
The Bohart Museum of Entomology is in 1124 Academic Surge. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Admission is free.
Group tours are available, but arrangements must be made in advance and tours cannot take place on the weekends, Yang said. To set something up, contact her by phone, (530) 752-0493 or (530) 752-9464, or e-mail, tabyang@ucdavis.edu.
Media Resources
Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu