Teen Naturalists: Arthropods at the Butterfly Pavillion
By David Sutherland
On March 24, 2024, BCAS Teen Naturalists took a behind-the-scenes field trip to the Butterfly Pavilion. Entomologist Francisco Garcia took the group into the collection room to show us how the staff at the Pavilion manages and cares for a large collection of arthropods from all over the world.
Everyone who wanted to got to hold and photograph mantises, stick insects, huge beetles, millipedes, and hissing cockroaches. The staff talked about their training and career paths that brought them to cherish creepy-crawly things. Everyone had a ton of questions.
Afterward the behind-the-scenes tour, Francisco took us to the free-flight rainforest exhibit and explained how the Pavilion works with sustainably sourced butterflies from farms in the tropics.
To learn more about BCAS Teen Naturalists activities, visit the Teen Naturalists webpage.
