Bay Area Science Festival “Insect Respect” Tour at UC Elkus Ranch
     

     UC Elkus Ranch offered its first ‘Insect Respect' tour this past Sunday, October 25th as part of the Bay Area Science Festival's Explorer Days sharing the facility with new visitors from across five counties. Children and adults (30 total) from across the Bay Area came to share a unique hands-on experience gaining a better understanding of the insect world and the many ecosystem services our six legged neighbors provide. Ranch Director Dr. Virginia Bolshakova kicked-off the event with a discussion about what traits make an insect an insect. Live Madagascar hissing cockroaches offered entomological diplomacy as children and adult participants jumped at the chance to hold them! Despite much tummy (or abdomen) tickling, the cockroaches refused to make a hiss!
     Virginia and Casey Hubble then led an interactive tour of the Purisima Creek that runs through the Center and provides the life water for the ranch. Everyone was ready to get their feet wet on the topic of stream invertebrates. We learned that many kinds of invertebrates can be found in the stream, and that biologists use certain species as indicators in determining the overall health of a stream. Families participated in a ‘catch and release' survey, collecting invertebrate fauna from in and around the flowing waters to measure the biotic index.
After lunch many kids tested their pallets by eating barbequed insects. These crunchy mealworm snacks are a tasty way to add some protein to your diet, and are a valuable food source in many cultures around the world. Entomophagy, the practice of consuming insects, has served as a nutritional, tasty and safe food source for people for tens of thousands of years all over the planet!
     UC Berkeley graduate students, Madison Dipman and Lisa Treidel, led the afternoon tour through the gardens of Elkus Ranch - exploring the micro world of decomposers and pollinators. After learning about the Waggle Dance in bees, both children and adults buzz-waggled around the garden in a tag team game that simulated the foraging behavior of honey bees. A trip through the barn yard led to compost piles where kids were able to sift through the decomposing layers and discover the diversity of insects required to break down organic material. Once fully decomposed, this material becomes Elkus Ranch's ‘Black GOLD' soil amendment feeding our lush gardens. Finally, the tour wrapped-up with some chicken love and goat hugs – an important part of this amazing adventure! Many thanks to our courageous and enthusiastic visitors who made this Bay Area Science Festival Explorer Day a great success! Hope to see everyone back at the ranch one day soon! - Elkus Ranch BARF (Beneficial Arthropod Research Farm) Team