By Jessica Dillon
After weeks of snow and ice, families turned out Feb. 7 for Bug Day at the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH), a hands-on event highlighting insects, their role in the environment, and ways residents can protect habitats at home.
The indoor program featured educational displays, preserved specimens and interactive activities designed especially for children.
“It’s been great. Virginia’s Museum of Natural History has festivals yearly. We do basically one every quarter,” said research technician Marshall Boyd. “This was kind of a special science Bug Day. So, it’s not planned to be a full-run festival, but it has actually kind of turned into one of those, where we had at least a few hundred.”
Visitors came from Martinsville, Henry County and surrounding areas. Boyd said recent winter weather may have helped boost attendance.
“We’ve got everything from our entire entomology or recent invertebrate staff that is sharing all of our recent collection specimens that are from Paraguay, from Texas, Vietnam, new things that are coming into the museum, our ooh and ah specimens, so like amorphous butterflies, they are beautiful blue coloration,” Boyd said.
The museum’s education department offered microscope stations and close-up looks at insects, along with discussions on dung beetles and backyard conservation.
“We have our education department that’s talking about things that you can look into the microscope, getting to see bugs up nice and close … but also things you can do in your own backyard,” Boyd said.
Representatives from Philpott Lake and Martinsville’s Tree Board also attended, sharing information on preserving natural habitats by leaving fallen leaves and logs in place.
Attendees circulated through tables set up throughout the main room.
“This one was less logistically planned, and we kind of did a set of tables — I call it buffet style — where it’s kind of table off table off table,” Boyd said. “So, people, unfortunately, end up kind of queuing a little bit more.”
Boyd said engaging children is a key goal of museum events.
“We try to make sure that we always have plenty of things for the kids to do and kind of fun things that pull them into learning about, and get your hands on stuff,” he said. “Those kids are very tactile and want to see things, and then kind of give the information that we know as the research impression staff see, things from behind the scenes that people don’t usually see.”
