K-State Insect Zoo
The mission of the KSU Insect Zoo is to foster a better understanding and increased awareness of our microcosmic, natural world and the important roles that insects and their relatives play in it. The Insect Zoo has a display area which is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 12 pm-6 pm year round. Over 9,000 people visit the zoo each year. The Zoo's staff provides guided tours to groups of visitors who call ahead and schedule a time to visit. It is a favored place for school field trips.
The Insect Zoo and its staff participate in the K-State Open House in the spring and Family Day in the fall with extra displays and reduced admission fees. These are the Zoo's highest attendance days with Family Day averaging close to 360 people and Open House at about 1500. The Zoo's staff also sets up displays off campus for community events that occur on Sundays and evenings when the Zoo is closed. To help increase the Zoo's impact, the staff would like at some point to start traveling to classrooms. The Insect Zoo is supported by donations, admission fees, the Entomology Department, and a NASA grant that supports STEM education projects. Go to http://www.k-state.edu/butterfly for more information.
