The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has something buzzing on the agenda.
UF’s IFAS is holding its third-annual Bug Week this week. The event started Monday and will end Saturday.
Bug Week began as a way to showcase what the institute does at UF, said Ruth Borger, the assistant vice president for communications for IFAS.
“They may not realize there are good bugs,” Borger said. “Some are very important to agriculture and affect us positively.”
There are a number of ways for UF students to celebrate bugs during this year’s Bug Week. Students can post a “bug selfie” with the hashtag #UFBugs to join the discussion and discover which creatures they are sharing campus with, Borger said.
There will also be a scavenger hunt Saturday at the Florida Museum of Natural History and Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art.
IFAS will also be sharing resources throughout the week, including a “Bug of the Day” and a “Bug Word of the Day,” Borger said.
Students away from campus for the Summer can still benefit from Bug Week and explore the valuable role that bugs play in the environment.
Through the use of social media platforms, it is easy to participate in the event from any location, Borger said.
Oliver Keller, a 37-year-old student earning his doctoral degree in entomology, is leading the pack for online promotion. He manages the social media accounts for the Entomology and Nematology Student Organization, a group that serves as a community for graduate students in the major.
Keller said he uses Twitter to post pictures of bugs from UF’s Natural Area Teaching Laboratory to promote interest.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 5/21/15]
