Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County are set to sponsor the 12th annual Insect Festival.
The festival is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Mercer Educational Gardens, 431A Federal City Road, Hopewell Township.
The Insect Festival features seven demonstration gardens: Annual, Butterfly, Cottage, Herb, Native Plant, Perennial and Weed ID. Rutgers Master Gardeners will be on hand at the displays to offer tips and display guides for recognizing some of the pesky as well as beneficial insects.
Each demonstration garden hosts an activity that will entertain and teach children of all ages about the incredible and often beautiful insects common to the Northeast.
Many activities are scheduled for the festival, such as Bugs in the Water, which involves viewing tiny organisms through microscopes. There is also an insect hunt on the paths cut through the restored meadow. Visit with native-bee and honeybee experts who can explain why we need to be less fearful and more respectful of the most important pollinators in our ecosystem. Learn how insect predators, including both bats and birds, can help control insect pest populations and reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
Returning events from previous years include butterfly births, Monarch butterfly tagging, bugs galore, the insect puppet show, tattoos, crafts, hayrides, and question and answer session with Mercer County Horticulturist Barbara J. Bromley.
Local environmental agencies like Rutgers University Entomology faculty, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, Conserve Wildlife, Mercer County Mosquito Control, N.J. Department of Agriculture Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory, 4-H and Mercer County Equestrian Center will also be present with their experts and displays.
The naturalist from Mercer County Parks will also be present to lead insect-related activities.
The event will be held rain or shine. Admission is free and on-site parking is available.
The Master Gardeners of Mercer County is a volunteer educational outreach program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Master Gardeners participate in many volunteer programs throughout the county, as well as answer home horticulture questions through their Helpline, (609) 989-6853, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March through October, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., November through February.
More information is online at mgofmc.org.
Rutgers Master Gardener Elana Berlinger (East Windsor) staff the Bugs Galore booth at last year’s Insect Festival.,
