Insects in our World and at Rancho La Puerta

Week of July 31, 2021

Insects in our World and at Rancho La Puerta (Talk and Visual Presentation)
What are insects and what do they do? Why are they important? What do they tell us about our world? The world of insects is a vital part of our surroundings but how much effect they have on our lives is a mystery to most. Let’s break down those barriers and talk bugs! Once we get acquainted with our arthropod friends, we can observe them with greater respect and appreciation. They are often overlooked but an intrinsic part of what makes Rancho La Puerta an extraordinary place.

Nature Scavenger Hunt (Family workshop)
We will introduce some of the common natural residents and give tips on how and where to find them. We will then explore the grounds to fill out our scavenger hunt checklist.

The Wonderful Honeybee (Family)
What makes honeybees so special? As it turns out, a lot! We will discuss the unusual life of the honeybee in all its stages and the highly organized, “mindful” colony in which it lives. We will taste honey and check out other commercial products of the hive, handle honeycomb, and inspect standard tools of the beekeeper. As a beekeeper, I can also address questions about the current threats to bees and modern challenges in beekeeping.

Night Crawler Discovery Walk (Family)
Bring your flashlights for this after-dark adventure and see nature in a new way! Many critters take refuge from the daytime heat and avoid predation by birds and reptiles by being active at night. We’ll explore the surroundings with regular flashlights and inspect spiders, their webs, and whatever else might be out and about. We’ll also (safely!) search for scorpions using a UV flashlight and visit a mobile field station set up with a black light and reflective sheet to attract moths and other insects of the night.

Nature Walk (Family)
We will take a stroll through the Ranch to see and learn about the common plants, insects, and birds, and answer any questions as they arise while we take in our natural surroundings.

 

Peter H. Kerr is an entomologist who grew up admiring native wildflowers and chasing after birds and bugs in the chaparral of Southern California. He went on to study Biology at University of California, Santa Cruz, and Tropical Biology at the University of Costa Rica. After graduation, he returned to Latin America to explore the most biological rich forests in the world, including the Amazon Basin of Ecuador, where he collected insects and worked as a naturalist guide and nature interpreter at a remote tourist jungle lodge. Eventually, Peter returned to the US to earn his Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Maryland, and serve as a resident Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, in Washington, D.C. Currently, Peter is a Senior Insect Biosystematist at the California Department of Food & Agriculture and Primary Molecular Biologist for the State of California. His lab research focuses primarily on the systematics and taxonomy of a group of flies known as the fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae). He resides in Davis, CA, with his wife, Malin, a botanist and organic farmer, and their three children.