Mark your calendar!

Here's an opportunity--especially for new students and prospective students at the University of California, Davis and their families--to learn about insects.

While students are moving into the dorms on Sunday, Sept. 24, an open house, themed "Insects and U," will take place at the Bohart Museum of Entomology from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane.

The open house, a family friendly event, is free and open to the public of all ages.

"This purposely coincides with UC Davis dorm move-in weekend," says Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator. "Our target audience is new students and their families, but everyone is welcome. The focus is how to study insects at home and in school--any age."

Undergraduate advisor Brandy Fleming will be on hand (tabling) to talk about classes, careers, and fun with entomology. 

Yang is also planning a display featuring cabbage white butterflies for educators.

The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, UC Davis professor of entomology, is a world-renowned insect museum that houses a global collection of nearly eight million specimens. It also maintains a live “petting zoo,” featuring walking sticks, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks, praying mantids, and tarantulas. A gift shop, open year around, offers T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, jewelry, posters, insect-collecting equipment and insect-themed candy.

The Bohart Museum's regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The museum is closed to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and on major holidays. Admission is free. 

For more information, contact the bmuseum@ucdavis.edu or access the website or Facebook page.