Some Big Bugs: Coming to Morris Arboretum this Spring |
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March 26, 2013,
Volume 59, No. 26 |
On April 1 visitors to the Morris Arboretum may think nature is playing an April Fool’s joke on them as Big Bugs spring to life all over the Arboretum’s 92-acre garden. These amazing bugs are the creation of Long Island sculptor David Rogers and are actually immense garden sculptures made from materials like fallen hardwood trees, standing deadwood, and willow saplings. Imagine a 16-foot, 1,200 pound praying mantis, a parade of 25-foot long ants, a dragonfly with a wingspan of 17 feet, or a 4-foot spider spinning a 15-foot web, to name just a few of the Big Bugs. Morris Arboretum will host 11 Big Bugs installed throughout the Arboretum’s garden from April 1 through August 31.
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Above, a dragonfly with a wingspan of 17 feet, one of the 11 large creatures that will inhabit the grounds of the Morris Arboretum. Meet the creator of Big Bugs on Thursday, March 28 as artist David Rogers discusses his upcoming exhibit at the Arboretum; 4:30 p.m.; Upper Gallery, Widener Visitor Center, Morris Arboretum; $5/non-members, free/members; register: https://online.morrisarboretum.org/page.aspx?pid=470 |
Each Big Bug at Morris Arboretum is a unique creation with its own whimsical character. There will be three Big Ants, one Praying Mantis, one Dragonfly, one Damsel Fly, one Spider with web, one Assassin Bug, one XL Lady Bug, one Grasshopper, and one Daddy Long-Legs. Visitors will have to explore the entire Morris Arboretum garden to discover them all.
The bugs are designed to awe and to educate, reminding us in a big way about the vital role that insects play in the environment, and of their diversity. “The insect world makes up a whole team of hidden gardeners,” said David Rogers. “We take it for granted that they exist.” With his Big Bugs displayed everywhere you look at the Morris Arboretum, the insects will be hard to ignore. But luckily, they won’t be munching on the plants. Events and educational activities will accompany the exhibit.
- A Grand Opening event will take place on Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Visitors are invited to dress as bugs for a parade around the garden. There will be bug-inspired music, a bug craft activity, and Big Bugs scavenger hunt maps. Also on site from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. will be expert naturalists from The Academy of Natural Sciences with a variety of insects, some of their relatives (perhaps a tarantula or scorpion!), as well as some impressive mounted specimens.
- In conjunction with the Philadelphia Science Festival (April 18-28), Morris Arboretum will host Bugs a-Brewing at Iron Hill Brewery in Chestnut Hill on Monday, April 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. Arboretum experts will discuss and field questions on topics that include insects that threaten our native tree population to bugs that ‘bug’ our plants to those that are beneficial and should be protected.
Visit www.morrisarboretum.org for updates and more details. The Big Bugs exhibit by David Rogers is made possible by the Madeleine K. Butcher Fine Arts Endowment.
Big Bugs events will keep visitors entertained all summer long, from educational offerings to bug exercises to a bug tasting. Here is a sampling:
- Insect-Inspired Art: Big Bugs Art Series (ages 6-12) Four Sundays, April 14—May 5, 1-2:45 p.m. This four-week art series will take inspiration from the David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibit, drawing on location throughout the Arboretum and then returning to the classroom to paint, create metal embossing and sculptures based on what was observed in the garden. In the process, children will learn about the important role of insects in the web of life, as well as the historic influence insects have had on cultures and civilizations throughout history. $100; $85/members.To register online go to https://online.morrisarboretum.org/classes or call (215) 247-5777 x125.
- Drop in to participate in the Garden Discovery Series on the first Saturday of every month from April through October, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. No reservations required; free with regular garden admission. Visitors can experience hands-on fun at the Garden Discovery Table, located on the fabulous Out on a Limb canopy walk, high up in the treetops. Visitors of all ages will discover new and fascinating facts about David Rogers’ Big Bugs and their smaller counterparts crawling throughout the garden, as well as exploring other fun science topics. Creative Discovery Table visitors will have the chance to create a cool craft to take home. Here is the schedule: April 6—Spiders, Bugs & Beetles; May 4 –Marvelous Metamorphosis; June 1–Pollination Station;July 6–Discover Fireflies; August 3–Clever Camouflage. Free with admission.
- Let’s Move—Be a Bug is another monthly series set for the third Saturday of each month, May through August from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Giggle your way through this bug boot camp as you learn how to crawl like an ant, hop like a grasshopper, float like a dragonfly, and spin like a spider. Parents—keep up with the kids and learn these fun moves too. These events are also free with regular garden admission and require no reservations.
- Try something completely different with the Arboretum’s evening Bug Crawl—Food & Drink Pairings for the 21st Century on Wednesday, July 17. The concept of bugs as a meal is not just a novelty for the adventurous eater, but a sustainable way to feed the earth’s growing population. Guests will learn about the science behind this cuisine as they sample insect edibles paired with complementary beer and wine at several Big Bug stations. Additional fee (TBA) for this event.
This spring and summer, visitors will surely experience big fun with Big Bugs at Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill.
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One of the three 25-foot long ants that will be poised to pounce throughout the spring and summer at the Morris Arboretum, part of the Big Bugs exhibit. |
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