Sunday, March 19 | 10 AM - 4 PM
L'Apogee Ballroom (17th Floor) | Graduate Hotel
Admission is free and open to the public!
For the past several years, a highlight of the Eastern Branch’s annual meeting has been “It’s a Bug’s World”, an insect expo and public outreach event. This event aims to increase public awareness of the importance of insects and show kids some of the interesting and varied career options available to people who study entomology. We strive to make the program educational, interactive, and fun.
Co-organizers Faith Kuehn and Lisa Tewksbury believe the 2023 Bug’s World in Providence will have lots to offer. Pollinator Power, a collaboration of Rhode Island universities will showcase a variety of insect pollinators and a photo booth. Sample insect cuisine and visit the Bug Zoo. Learn about the Roger Williams Park Zoo’s efforts to save the endangered American burying beetle, (Nicrophorus americanus). Join us for our Roach Race 500! Cheer for team Hissing cockroach or Team Dwarf Cockroach! While enjoying the fun, discover why these insects move so fast and why they have such a bad reputation! Test your skills with Tick Trivia, and meet Fran and Big Blue Bug Solution’s Nibbles Woodaway. There will be a variety of activities for kids.
Want to be part of the fun? We need volunteers on March 19 to help make Bug’s World happen. Besides a coveted Bug’s World t-shirt, students can get a discount on 2023 Eastern Branch Meeting registration. To sign up, contact Faith Kuehn.
What is "It's a Bug's World"?
It's a Bug’s World is a public outreach program hosted by the Entomological Society of America, Eastern Branch, in conjunction with its annual meeting. Exhibits and programming feature insect-related programs and institutions in the vicinity of the annual meeting’s host city. There are two main goals of this program:
1) increase public awareness of the importance of insects and
2) show kids some of the interesting and varied career options available to people who study entomology.
We strive to make the program educational, interactive, and fun. The program is free of charge and open to the public, and exhibitors are not charged for table space.
Volunteer Information
Students, student transition, and early-career professional ESA members who serve as volunteers and work a minimum of 3 hours at the Annual Meeting are eligible for a $75 reimbursement of their registration fee after the meeting.
This program provides you with an excellent opportunity to become more involved with the Branch, to network, and to experience the many aspects of hosting an insect-focused public outreach program. The Eastern Branch will reimburse volunteers $75 towards the registration fee if all criteria and deadlines listed below are met, and the volunteer provides a minimum of 3 hours of work.
Process
An email will be sent out to all registered (and paid) students, student transition, and early professionals on February 21, 2023, detailing the volunteer opportunity. Interested individuals who meet the criteria below should fill out an online form, which will include a preference for 3HR time slots. This form will remain open until March 1, 2023. Once the form closes, volunteers will be notified of their acceptance and time slot. If more volunteers are submitted vs. available slots, they will be chosen on a “first applied, first chosen” basis.
Duties and time slots are listed below:
- March 19, 8-11am: 4 volunteers, helping with unloading cars and set-up, welcome table, build-a-bug, etc.
- March 19, 11am-2pm: 5 volunteers, roaming with the survey, directing visitors, answering questions, helping face painter, welcome table, build-a-bug, etc.
- March 19, 2-5pm: 3 volunteers, survey, answering questions, welcome table, build-a-bug, and assisting with break-down and loading cars again
Requirements
You must be registered in full for the 2023 Branch Meeting with a paid student, student transition, or early professional member registration by the advance rate deadline of February 20, 2022. You must attend a 30-minute Zoom training session prior to your work shift. Volunteers are expected to show up on time and work their full shifts. Volunteers who successfully complete their shifts will be sent a reimbursement check of $75 after the meeting has concluded.
For any questions on the volunteer program contact Faith Kuehn.
