This year’s National Insect Week is being hailed a huge success

This year’s National Insect Week is being hailed a huge success with thousands of people taking part in more than 300 events across the country. The Royal Entomological Society’s (RES) biennial initiative proved more popular than ever before, breaking previous event numbers and scoring a coup with HRH Prince Charles holding a bioblitz in his Clarence House garden. Children and adults took part in bug hunts, mini-beast safaris, moth-trapping and glow-worm hunting to learn more about the wonderful world of insects and their role in nature. A series of competitions and teaching resources have also opened up the insect world to the younger generation.

Among the highlights of National Insect Week were:

The bioblitz at Clarence House – featured HRH Prince Charles ‘sweeping’ for insects in his organic garden with children, led by a team of entomologists who will provide a detailed survey of the garden’s invertebrate diversity.
The launch at the RES’s headquarters in St Albans – children from Killigrew School sang songs from composer Carl Davis’ Creeply Crawly Songbook and listened to insect stories from author Sonia Copeland-Bloom.
Edible insects at historic Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire – schoolchildren tasted dishes featuring mealworms and crickets cooked by a local chef before taking part in a bug hunt in the grounds of the National Trust property.
Summer-long activity at the Yorkshire Air Museum which includes an art competition in which winners’ designs will be displayed on the nose of a Nimrod jet.
RAF Museum London – 300 children of all ages were shown the delights of the insect world. Secondary schoolchildren were taught about ‘insects as flying machines’ by Prof Robin Wootton (leading UK researcher on insect flight). Primary schoolchildren were shown how to make their own entomological equipment and, more importantly, how to use it on a bug hunt.
March of the Bees, Plymouth – a community project to raise awareness about bees culminating in the colourful ‘March of the Bees’ parade and ‘Bee Tea Party’.
Photography competition – a hugely popular contest with young and old alike, sponsored by Olympus. The deadline for entries is 31 October 2012 and the winners will be announced in November.

National Insect Week co-ordinator Luke Tilley said: “It’s been a fantastic National Insect Week this year. So many people have held events and taken part and really helped bring the insect world to life for lots of children as well as adults.

“National Insect Week is an important initiative – it demonstrates the role of insects in nature and highlights the brilliant biodiversity we have on our shores.”

The next National Insect Week is scheduled to take place in 2014.

This year’s theme – Celebrating Great British Insects – drew upon the celebrations around the London Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee of the RES’s Patron, Her Majesty The Queen.

National Insect Week’s main sponsor is Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK. The week is also supported by more than 60 partners, including the National Trust, National History Museum, the RSPB, Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society to name but a few.

Source:
http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/news/2012_a_huge_success.htm