And rightfully so. We all need to take precautions.
Bohart Museum director Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, announced today that the Bohart is closed to the public until Monday, April 6. However, researchers may contact the museum for specific requests, she said.
The public closure is due to pandemic coronavirus precautions and UC Davis directives. Bohart officials earlier postponed the March 21st open house on pollinators and microbes. It will be held at a later date, to be determined.
UC Davis Directives:
Updated 8:30 p.m. March 15: Acting on updated guidance issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UC Davis officials lowered the university's attendance cap for events to 50.
The cap applies to all events, university-sponsored or otherwise, in all campus spaces and venues, at all UC Davis locations, and to university events held off-campus.
“Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities,” according to the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, which recommends an attendance cap of 50 for eight weeks.
Bohart Museum
The Bohart Museum, named in honor of its founder, noted entomologist Richard Bohart (1913-2007), houses a global collection of nearly eight million specimens. It is also the home of the seventh largest insect collection in North America, and the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity. The Bohart Museum also maintains a live "petting zoo," featuring Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks or stick insects, tarantulas, and praying mantids. The museum's gift shop, open year around, includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, jewelry, posters, insect-collecting equipment and insect-themed candy.
Prior to today (March 16), the museum had been open to the public Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., except on holidays. More information on the Bohart Museum is available on the website at http://bohart.ucdavis.edu or by contacting (530) 752-0493 or bmuseum@ucdavis.edu.
Meanwhile, it's good idea to explore the Bohart website, where you can learn all about insects and how to collect them. And your backyard or local park is waiting...
Attached Images:
The butterfly collection at the Bohart Museum is a popular attraction, but the Bohart will be closed to the public until April 6. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, says the insect museum is closed to the public until April 6. Researchers with special requests can contact the museum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)