UW Biodiversity Institute Sponsors Aquatic Bug Day June 21

Wigglers, creepers and crawlers will take center stage during Aquatic Bug Day from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 21, at LaPrele Park in Laramie. The University of Wyoming’s Biodiversity Institute sponsors the event.

Aquatic Bug Day is a free, family-friendly event created by Audrey Lindsteadt, a UW first-year Ph.D. student in the Program in Ecology and Evolution in the lab of Lusha Tronstad, lead invertebrate zoologist with UW’s Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD). There is no limit on attendance.

“I didn’t learn about a career in bugs until I was in college,” says Lindsteadt, who is from St. Joseph, Mo., but now lives in Laramie. “I want to share this information with the younger generation and show them all the life in their backyard.”

Caddisflies, craneflies, mayflies, scuds, snails, true flies and worms are a few examples of the insect invertebrates that children can expect to see in Spring Creek, Tronstad says.

“Insects are misunderstood animals that are critical to keep ecosystems functioning. For example, they are food for many animals such as birds, bats and amphibians,” Tronstad says. “Educating the next generation about the role of insects is one of the most important tasks for the future. We hope that kids will think twice before squishing a bug and, instead, think about how that insect is part of the larger ecosystem.”

Kids are advised to wear clothes and shoes -- preferably rain boots -- that can get wet. All other gear, including various types of nets, Surber samplers, sieves, white trays, ice cube trays, hand magnifying glasses, forceps and pipettes, will be provided, Lindsteadt says.

“We will be in and around Spring Creek, near the parking area on Spring Creek Drive,” says Mason Lee, senior project coordinator of the Biodiversity Institute. “We held this event last year for the first time, and it was so much fun. Kids and their families came out to LaPrele Park to learn how to look for aquatic macroinvertebrates and how to identify them once they were collected.”

“It's important to involve children in community science events so they develop critical thinking skills and spark creativity and curiosity,” adds Abbey Morales Eggener, communications and marketing specialist for the Biodiversity Institute.

For more information, go to the event’s Facebook page.

About the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

The UW Biodiversity Institute fosters conservation of biodiversity through scientific discovery, creative dissemination, education and public engagement. In this setting, scientists, citizens, students and educators come together to share a wealth of perspectives on the study and appreciation of biodiversity -- from microbes to poetry and ecosystems to economics. For more information, go to www.wyomingbiodiversity.org.