Anderson Insect Zoo Goes All Out for Bug Day and Bug Fest!

Along with their regular stops at the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview and the DuPage County Children's Museum in Naperville, Anderson's Tom Dobrinska and Mark Mayer will be bringing their exotic and fascinating collection of insects to a couple of outdoor nature festivals this summer.

The Insect Zoo will be part of Bug Fest at the Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora, Illinois on Saturday, August 27th, from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.

The free, family-friendly event will feature fun and educational activities with a swarm of bug-related games, demonstrations and crafts. Originating at Red Oak, the event also will utilize Lippold Park to the north and the one-half mile stretch of the Fox River Trail that connects the two facilities.

Visitors can park and begin their exploration at either Red Oak or Lippold Park. Each site will have Bug Fest guide books available, live music and snacks.

Children and adults alike will learn about the benefits of bugs and the important roles they play such as pollinating plants and flowers, aerating the soil and serving as a major source in the food chain.

The Red Oak Nature Center is located on Route 25, one mile north of Route 56 in North Aurora. For more information on Bug Fest, visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org or call Red Oak at (630) 897-1808.

The second stop on the Insect Zoo's summer tour will be Bug Day, taking place at the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin, on Sunday, September 18th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Children can join in the grasshopper jump-off, watch beekeepers work Wehr's resident honeybee hives, and meet LOTS of live insects (and their arthropod relatives). Join us as we get up close as Wehr celebrates this often-misunderstood group of animals. There will be experts on hand to answer your insect questions, crafts for kids, and even a chance to enjoy an insect snack. Yes we mean eat an insect! No pre-registration required so grab the larvae and scurry over for all the six-legged fun.

CALL (414) 425-8550 For program details, confirmation, and changes. Visit www.countyparks.com for other details about Wehr Nature Center.

The Wehr Nature Center is located at 9701 W. College Ave., Franklin, Wisconsin. The Center's 220 acres are located within the beautiful 660-acre Whitnall Park in southwestern Milwaukee County. The only nature center located in the southern half of Milwaukee County, Wehr has over five miles of trails linking the Center's natural communities: the Woodland, Wetland, Prairie, Oak Savanna and Lake.