By Staff
NILES - David Rogers' Big Bugs have never visited Michigan or Indiana, but
for three months beginning July 16, you can see them at Fernwood.
Ten amazing sculptures are displayed around the gardens, including three giant ants, a 60-pound spider in a 15-foot web, and a 20-foot praying mantis that weighs 1,200 pounds. This is an event you won't want to miss.
The Big Bugs have toured the United States since 1994, appearing in many well-known botanical gardens and attractions. Fernwood is an ideal location because its gardens and natural environments represent the broad variety of places where insects live. Each of the Bugs is displayed in the habitat where one would expect to see it.
To help children have fun and learn at the same time, educational activity stations will be set up near several of the Big Bugs. At one station children are invited to jump as far as they can, then compare their distance to the leap of a grasshopper. At other stations they see life-size representations of prehistoric dragonflies, guess how many aphids a ladybug can eat, and pretend they are ants while following an ant trail.
And that's not all. Special programs and activities are offered nearly every weekend the Big Bugs are here. Many of these feature live insects, including a presentation by Hollywood "Bug Man" Steven Kutcher, who trains insects for the movies.
Along the garden paths, interpretive signs present "insect inklings" for the information of visitors.
And from July through September, naturalist Bill Westrate is displaying a large collection of preserved insects in the Clark Gallery.
The Big Bugs can be viewed whenever Fernwood is open (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday).
There is no admission charge for members; other visitors pay the usual entrance fee. Please call for additional information.
Meet Dave Rogers
Preview the Bugs
There are many expenses involved in hosting a major exhibit such as the Big Bugs. Join us on Friday evening, July 15 as we raise funds for the Bugs and have some fun, too!
The festivities begin at 7 p.m. and include complimentary hors d'oeuvres, light classical music, a silent auction, and cash bar.
Meet artist David Rogers and get a sneak preview of the Bugs before they open to the public.
Tickets cost $25. Call today to reserve your place!
Contact Fernwood for registration and more information at (269) 695-6491.