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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!
Have you ever visited the San Diego Zoo’s Insect House? If not, you should definitely check it out the next time you come to the Zoo. It contains a rich variety of exotic insects and other invertebrates that are like none of the creepy crawlies you’ve ever seen hiding in the corner of your garage. Due to its uniqueness, the Insect House requires people with vast knowledge of these little critters to properly care for them. We met one of those skilled insect keepers, Ms. Ester Chang.
She’s a Senior Keeper in the Zoo’s Entomology Department and has been working at the San Diego Zoo for about ten years. Undeniably, she is an expert when it comes to insects and educated us about the different species she cares for on a daily basis. One of the most fascinating species she tends to is the leaf cutter ant. Leaf cutter ants are native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, where they play an important role in their ecosystem. They are considered farmers, as they actually nurture their food source, much like farmers take care of their growing food supply. As their name suggests, they cut pieces of leaves and carry them back to their underground home, not for them to eat, but to feed to a specific fungus. Then, the ants eat the fungus that grows. Although they don’t consume the leaves themselves, they still play an integral role in the decomposition of the leaves, which in turn, adds valuable nutrients to the forest floor soils. You can actually watch this whole process in the Insect House, which I found to be a very fascinating exhibit.
In the wild, leaf cutter ants are threatened by habitat loss. To help, we can recycle paper products and only buy wood and paper that was harvested sustainably. One way to know that the making of a specific product was sustainable is by seeing whether or not the product is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) compliant. The FSC ensures consumers that the object in question was harvested in a manner that was sustainable. Also, simply reducing the amount of paper you use everyday helps save habitats. For instance, taking notes on an electronic device instead of on a sheet of paper can add up to make a big difference for rainforests plagued by deforestation.
Another insect we learned about was the Lord Howe Island stick insect. Previously thought to be extinct, a small population was found on Balls Pyramid, a tiny land mass about 12 miles from Lord Howe Island, in 2001. They were almost driven to extinction due to black rats that arrived via ships and infested their remote habitat, demolishing the insects in the process. Since their numbers are very low, zoos, including the San Diego Zoo, are working on establishing reliable breeding populations that act as back up in case they become extinct in the wild, or a group of them at another zoo doesn’t survive. This is one of many examples of the Zoo’s efforts to save species from the brink of extinction. The Zoo is working hard to protect the Lord Howe Island stick insect because, like leaf cutter ants, they are an important part of their ecosystem. By ingesting leaves, they stimulate plant growth and also fertilize the soil with the byproduct. Additionally, they serve as food for other animals (not just the invasive rats). Hopefully, progress will continue to be made by zoo breeding programs, and perhaps sometime in the future, these insects will flourish again on Lord Howe Island.
Even though in San Diego we don’t have the craziest insects you’ve ever seen, San Diego is home to many different species of insects that play important roles in our local ecosystems. More specifically, bees are a well-known example. Unfortunately, given bees’ ability to sting when threatened, they have a bad reputation amongst many people. However, while bee stings may happen occasionally, they are incredibly important in many ecosystems. Being pollinators, they are essential for most flowering plants. That includes one third of what we consume. We literally need bees for foods like almonds and even chocolate. Therefore, you should not be afraid of bees, but instead thankful for them. One way to support bees and other pollinators is by purchasing organic produce when grocery shopping. Many synthetic pesticides harm important insects, like bees, and are not used in organic farms. Next time you come across a buzzing bee, remember how much we depend on them and just let it “bee.”
Given that most insects have an alien-like appearance, the phobia many people have towards bugs is understandable. Still, we need to not be the critters’ enemy and must try to keep them around so they can continue to give life to habitats and food to consumers like us.
Nikky, Conservation Team
Week Three, Fall Session 2017
Have you ever visited the San Diego Zoo’s Insect House? If not, you should definitely check it out the next time you come to the Zoo. It contains a rich variety of exotic insects and other invertebrates that are like none of the creepy crawlies you’ve ever seen hiding in the corner of your garage. Due to its uniqueness, the Insect House requires people with vast knowledge of these little critters to properly care for them. We met one of those skilled insect keepers, Ms. Ester Chang.
She’s a Senior Keeper in the Zoo’s Entomology Department and has been working at the San Diego Zoo for about ten years. Undeniably, she is an expert when it comes to insects and educated us about the different species she cares for on a daily basis. One of the most fascinating species she tends to is the leaf cutter ant. Leaf cutter ants are native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, where they play an important role in their ecosystem. They are considered farmers, as they actually nurture their food source, much like farmers take care of their growing food supply. As their name suggests, they cut pieces of leaves and carry them back to their underground home, not for them to eat, but to feed to a specific fungus. Then, the ants eat the fungus that grows. Although they don’t consume the leaves themselves, they still play an integral role in the decomposition of the leaves, which in turn, adds valuable nutrients to the forest floor soils. You can actually watch this whole process in the Insect House, which I found to be a very fascinating exhibit.
In the wild, leaf cutter ants are threatened by habitat loss. To help, we can recycle paper products and only buy wood and paper that was harvested sustainably. One way to know that the making of a specific product was sustainable is by seeing whether or not the product is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) compliant. The FSC ensures consumers that the object in question was harvested in a manner that was sustainable. Also, simply reducing the amount of paper you use everyday helps save habitats. For instance, taking notes on an electronic device instead of on a sheet of paper can add up to make a big difference for rainforests plagued by deforestation.
Another insect we learned about was the Lord Howe Island stick insect. Previously thought to be extinct, a small population was found on Balls Pyramid, a tiny land mass about 12 miles from Lord Howe Island, in 2001. They were almost driven to extinction due to black rats that arrived via ships and infested their remote habitat, demolishing the insects in the process. Since their numbers are very low, zoos, including the San Diego Zoo, are working on establishing reliable breeding populations that act as back up in case they become extinct in the wild, or a group of them at another zoo doesn’t survive. This is one of many examples of the Zoo’s efforts to save species from the brink of extinction. The Zoo is working hard to protect the Lord Howe Island stick insect because, like leaf cutter ants, they are an important part of their ecosystem. By ingesting leaves, they stimulate plant growth and also fertilize the soil with the byproduct. Additionally, they serve as food for other animals (not just the invasive rats). Hopefully, progress will continue to be made by zoo breeding programs, and perhaps sometime in the future, these insects will flourish again on Lord Howe Island.
Even though in San Diego we don’t have the craziest insects you’ve ever seen, San Diego is home to many different species of insects that play important roles in our local ecosystems. More specifically, bees are a well-known example. Unfortunately, given bees’ ability to sting when threatened, they have a bad reputation amongst many people. However, while bee stings may happen occasionally, they are incredibly important in many ecosystems. Being pollinators, they are essential for most flowering plants. That includes one third of what we consume. We literally need bees for foods like almonds and even chocolate. Therefore, you should not be afraid of bees, but instead thankful for them. One way to support bees and other pollinators is by purchasing organic produce when grocery shopping. Many synthetic pesticides harm important insects, like bees, and are not used in organic farms. Next time you come across a buzzing bee, remember how much we depend on them and just let it “bee.”
Given that most insects have an alien-like appearance, the phobia many people have towards bugs is understandable. Still, we need to not be the critters’ enemy and must try to keep them around so they can continue to give life to habitats and food to consumers like us.
Nikky, Conservation Team
Week Three, Fall Session 2017
