Insect Fest 2023 a ‘big hit’

Last month’s Wisconsin Insect Fest at Upham Woods was a hit with insect enthusiasts of all ages. The UW-Entomology event drew over a hundred attendees from around Wisconsin and nearby states. The event featured a wide array of booths, talks, hands-on workshops, guided hikes, and a BioBlitz activity.

To kick off the event, attendees had a chance to meet entomologists and visit booths for the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease, Marquette’s Cook Lab featuring live honey bees and more. Insect Fest also featured an array of speakers from UW-Entomology, including Dr. Dan Young, Michael Troutman, Jacki Whisenant, Eliza Pessereau, Dr. Karen Oberhauser, Patrick Dunn, and PJ Liesch.

Throughout Insect Fest, attendees had a chance to participate in the Bioblitz activity to survey insects at Upham Woods and the event wrapped up after dark with light sheeting for moths and other insects. This was the third ever Insect Fest event and was made possible through support of the Sam Graham Catalyst Fund.

See below for a few highlights of the event.