Mosquitoes, Ticks and Leeches
Attack of the Bloodsuckers science exhibit opens in Worcester on November 24
MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Hesshaus
Communications Manager
shesshaus@ecotarium.org
(508)929-2738
(November 2006)
(WORCESTER, MA) -- On November 24, the EcoTarium and the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative invite you to become a bloodsucker in the Attack of the Bloodsuckers exhibit Ð a new, kid-friendly display where you see life from the perspective of parasites!
Visitors of all ages can climb into a mosquito cockpit where the only mission is to find blood! They can discover if smelly feet really do attract these pests, watch leech feedings in an aquarium and see how mosquitoes adapt to their environment in a glassed-in habitat. This exhibit examines the what, why, when and how of mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, leeches and other parasites, their role in the ecosystem and why they do what they do!
Would you ever eat an insect? What if it was cooked and put over a bed of rice? Well, Dave Gracer The Bug Chef does! Join him at the EcoTarium on Sunday November 26 at 2 p.m. where he will be cooking up real insects of all kinds, and then eating them! Attendees at this time will be invited to try these strange delicacies Ð if they dare! Also during opening weekend, donÕt miss insect story times of the West African folktale Why Mosquitoes Buzz in PeopleÕs Ears, animal encounters of the insect kind and blue shirt specials at the MicroDiner where visitors can see wrigglers and tumblers Ð two phases of a mosquitoÕs life Ð under a microscope.
The exhibit includes a variety of fun components for families, including:
- A mosquito cockpit where you become the pilot and find your own target
- Live mosquitoes and leeches in their own aquarium habitats
- A colorful, four-foot-tall, soft-sculpture tick that inflates when you sit on it
- Microscopes to view the anatomy of tiny parasites
- A spin browser where you can see a mosquitoÕs lifecycle from birth on
This exhibit was produced by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative and made possible by grants from JaneÕs Trust, Cabot Family Charitable Trust and the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Calendar Listings
Attack of the Bloodsuckers!
Opening Weekend: Friday, November 24 - Sunday, November 26, 2006
Eat a bug-- or a few! That's right, Dave Gracer, The Bug Chef, will be cooking up all kinds of delicacies with real insects on Sunday November 26 at 2:00 p.m. Attendees at this time will be invited to take a bite into the buggers that are usually biting you! Also, be one of the first to launch a mosquito cockpit in search for your food Ð blood! Watch live leeches under a microscope and go through the lifecycle of a mosquito! Join the EcoTarium for the opening weekend of Attack of the Bloodsuckers. Free with museum admission. EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA (508) 929-2700. www.ecotarium.org.
Attack of the Bloodsuckers!
Through October 28, 2007
Explore the science of what's eating you in this new hands-on exhibit by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative. Find out why bloodsuckers are attracted to you by seeing through the eyes of a mosquito or exploring a leechesÕ role in nature by meeting one yourself. Discover fun facts you never knew about these creatures you would normally try to avoid. Free with museum admission. EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA (508) 929-2700. www.ecotarium.org.
EcoTarium, A Museum of Science & Nature, offers three floors of interactive exhibits, wildlife habitats, interpretive nature trails, a planetarium, and a narrow-gauge railroad. The museum, located at 222 Harrington Way in Worcester, Mass., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 12 to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors, college students and children ages 3-18. Parking is free. For information, please call (508) 929-2700 or email info@ecotarium.org.
###