Big Bug Bonanza

Every second year, BIAZA's Terrestrial Invertebrate Working Group coordinates our 'Big Bug Bonanza'. The week-long celebration of all things creepy or crawly aims to raise awareness of our fantastic invertebrate species and the important role they play within ecosystems. We hope that a little limelight will help elicit positive attitudes from our visitors and encourage positive behaviours towards these species. 

This year the campaign took place from the 7th until the 13th of August. Participating BIAZA Members carried out invertebrate themed activities with the public including both native and exotic species. Activities included keeper talks (Paradise Wildlife Park), bug handling sessions (as given by: Lake District Wildlife Park, Battersea Children's Park,  Dudley Zoo) and highlighting species on social media such as Berkshire College of Agriculture, The Deep, Whitley: Paignton Zoo, Secret Valley Wildlife Park, Hawk Conservancy Trust and Tilgate Nature Park.

Some BIAZA Members went the extra mile, building a bug hotel like the appropriately named "bugingham pallets" created by Askham Bryan College or by sweeping their site for bugs (Yorkshire Wildlife Park). 

We look back on a very successful Big Bug Bonanza week which involved many great snapshots of different invertebrate species and hope that it has highlighted the greatness of these small species.