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Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
A bug is a bug is a bug, right? They’re gross and creepy and don’t help people in any way. Wrong. Insects, Arachnids and other arthropods come in a wide range of forms and live on every continent. This week the Interns visited Senior Entomology Keeper Ester Chang. Ms. Chang gave us a tour of the Zoo’s insect house and introduced us to some of the residents. The entomology department, which studies insects, spends most of their time on arthropod husbandry. They have to figure out the best way to take care of these bugs. In order to limit their intake of wild collected animals, one of the main goals of the department is figuring out the best way to get them to reproduce in captivity, which is vital for the survival of some critically endangered insects.
Specifically, the San Diego Zoo Entomology Department recently received 300 eggs of the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect from Australia’s Melbourne Zoo. The Zoo staff carefully transferred the eggs into a controlled environment. They’re currently waiting for them to hatch. The San Diego Zoo’s goal is to set up a backup group for the Melbourne Zoo. Closer to home, the Zoo has been working on conserving San Diego’s endangered species. The Quino checkerspot butterfly was among one of the first species of butterfly to be placed on the endangered species list. Lot’s of plans have been thought up, but until recently, none have been implemented. Ms. Chang and other keepers have worked in collaboration with Conservation groups and the City of San Diego to raise the plants that the butterflies depend on. These plants have come under attack by invasive plants and predators.
Ms. Chang is also one of the primary caretakers of the Zoo’s beehives. The Zoo’s insect house used to hold an exhibit of a honeybee hive. While this exhibit let many learn about the inner workings of the community, it was unhealthy for the bees. However, the bees still play an important role in pollinating the plants around the park. Honeybees, like the Lord Howe Island stick insect and the Quino checkerspot, are also in trouble. They face increasing pressure from agricultural pesticides. When asked about spreading the word about the benefits of bees, Ms. Chang highlighted the fact that without bees, and other insect pollinators, people would have an extremely smaller variety of food.
One of the most important pollinators is the one that lives in your backyard. There are over 25,000 species of bees worldwide, about 4,000 of which live in the United States. Most of these bees are solitary bees, meaning that they collect food, build their homes and raise their children by themselves. Most species don’t even sting. These bees live in many different types of homes. Some live in holes in trees, cracks in walls, or holes in the ground. One species of solitary bee makes its home out of an empty snail shell! Solitary bees have the same issues with pesticides and pest as honeybees. Solitary bees also have to deal with habitat destruction, loss of native food sources, and an overall lack of acknowledgment from people.
Ms. Chang and the rest of the entomology department help protect insects by educating the public about them as well as providing them homes. You don’t need to work at the Zoo to help. Every one of us can help in our own way. Simple steps can be taken to help insects and other arthropods. You can plant a pollinator garden to provide food and habitat for native pollinators. One of the simplest things you can do to help is to spread the word. Insects are awesome and under appreciated, but they need help.
Ahmad, Conservation Team
Week One, Winter 2016
A bug is a bug is a bug, right? They’re gross and creepy and don’t help people in any way. Wrong. Insects, Arachnids and other arthropods come in a wide range of forms and live on every continent. This week the Interns visited Senior Entomology Keeper Ester Chang. Ms. Chang gave us a tour of the Zoo’s insect house and introduced us to some of the residents. The entomology department, which studies insects, spends most of their time on arthropod husbandry. They have to figure out the best way to take care of these bugs. In order to limit their intake of wild collected animals, one of the main goals of the department is figuring out the best way to get them to reproduce in captivity, which is vital for the survival of some critically endangered insects.
Specifically, the San Diego Zoo Entomology Department recently received 300 eggs of the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect from Australia’s Melbourne Zoo. The Zoo staff carefully transferred the eggs into a controlled environment. They’re currently waiting for them to hatch. The San Diego Zoo’s goal is to set up a backup group for the Melbourne Zoo. Closer to home, the Zoo has been working on conserving San Diego’s endangered species. The Quino checkerspot butterfly was among one of the first species of butterfly to be placed on the endangered species list. Lot’s of plans have been thought up, but until recently, none have been implemented. Ms. Chang and other keepers have worked in collaboration with Conservation groups and the City of San Diego to raise the plants that the butterflies depend on. These plants have come under attack by invasive plants and predators.
Ms. Chang is also one of the primary caretakers of the Zoo’s beehives. The Zoo’s insect house used to hold an exhibit of a honeybee hive. While this exhibit let many learn about the inner workings of the community, it was unhealthy for the bees. However, the bees still play an important role in pollinating the plants around the park. Honeybees, like the Lord Howe Island stick insect and the Quino checkerspot, are also in trouble. They face increasing pressure from agricultural pesticides. When asked about spreading the word about the benefits of bees, Ms. Chang highlighted the fact that without bees, and other insect pollinators, people would have an extremely smaller variety of food.
One of the most important pollinators is the one that lives in your backyard. There are over 25,000 species of bees worldwide, about 4,000 of which live in the United States. Most of these bees are solitary bees, meaning that they collect food, build their homes and raise their children by themselves. Most species don’t even sting. These bees live in many different types of homes. Some live in holes in trees, cracks in walls, or holes in the ground. One species of solitary bee makes its home out of an empty snail shell! Solitary bees have the same issues with pesticides and pest as honeybees. Solitary bees also have to deal with habitat destruction, loss of native food sources, and an overall lack of acknowledgment from people.
Ms. Chang and the rest of the entomology department help protect insects by educating the public about them as well as providing them homes. You don’t need to work at the Zoo to help. Every one of us can help in our own way. Simple steps can be taken to help insects and other arthropods. You can plant a pollinator garden to provide food and habitat for native pollinators. One of the simplest things you can do to help is to spread the word. Insects are awesome and under appreciated, but they need help.
Ahmad, Conservation Team
Week One, Winter 2016
