MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County will host the 22nd Annual Insect Festival on Saturday, at Mercer Educational Gardens, 431A Federal City Road.
The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is free and on-site parking is available.
The event celebrates the role insects play in supporting terrestrial ecosystems, according to organizers.
Activities will include a scavenger hunt, "Bugs in Water," "Bugs Galore," native bee exhibits, composting demonstrations, carnivorous plants, crafts, an insect hunt with catch and release, tick awareness education, native plants, storytime, and free mosquito dunks. Organizers said attendees can also learn how to build a "mosquito bucket" at home to help control mosquito populations without harming other insects.
Master Gardeners dressed as human-sized insects will circulate throughout the event to explain their ecological roles, organizers said.
Attendees can also view demonstration gardens on-site and learn about composting methods, in which insects break down organic waste and recycle minerals that support food crop production. According to organizers, three out of every four of the planet's known animal species are insects.
"Community programing like the Annual Insect Festival simultaneously create a wonderful opportunity for some family fun, while also giving attendees from Mercer County and the surrounding area, a great chance for a fantastic educational opportunity," Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said. "This is one of many ways our government can directly serve constituents."
Partner organizations at this year's festival include Tulpehaking Nature Center, The Watershed Institute, Isles, Friends of Abbott Marshlands, the New Jersey Native Plant Society, the Mercer County Mosquito Control Commission, the Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory, the Rutgers Residential Insects Lab, the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, a New Jersey beekeeper, and, new this year, Beyond the Bug, which will demonstrate live insects.
The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County is a volunteer educational outreach program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Residents with home gardening, plant, turf or insect questions can visit the group's Helpline office at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County Monday through Friday, call (609) 989-6853, or email AsktheMGs@mercercounty.org. More information is available at mgofmc.org.
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