Youth Development

A mannequin in a firefighter turncoat pinned with fire beetles drew "oohs" and "aahs" at the Bohart Museum of Entomology's open house last Sunday afternoon at the University of California, Davis.

Canoeing on a mountain lake, telling stories around a campfire, sleeping under the stars it's the quintessential summer camp experience and for thousands of California kids it's also their first introduction to UC's 4-H program.

Hear that buzz? Tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 18) is National Honey Bee Day. A small group of beekeepers originated the observance back in 2009 to spotlight bees and beekeeping. They petitioned and obtained a proclamation from the U.S.

If you're like most of us, you go bananas for a banana for breakfast. It's healthy, nutritious and packed with potassium. But wait! You should probably go bananas for another fruit--that pear-shaped avocado. Did you know the avocado provides more potassium than a banana? It does.

Move over, teddy bears! There's a new bear in town. Stuiffed toy animals resembling tardigrades, aka "water bears," are all the rage at the Bohart Museum of Entomology's year-around gift shop at the University of California, Davis.

Talk about extremes! Have you ever thought about how some insects have adapted to fire, ice, acid, hot water, salt and the desert? Have you ever seen an ambrosia beetle, a red turpentine beetle, an ice cricket, a brine fly or a sand wasp?

The UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology will emphasize "fire and insects" when it hosts an open house, Extreme Insects: Fire and Ice, on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 19. The public event, to take place from 1 to 4 p.m.

Mark your calendar! You won't want to miss the summer weekend open houses at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane. Both are free, open to the public and family friendly.

Commercial and backyard poultry owners are asked to be attentive to their animals' health to help prevent the spread of the lethal and contagious virulent Newcastle disease now raging in Southern California, reported Bob Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee.

What's life like on the farm? If you're looking for something to do on Saturday, Aug. 4, the Pleasants Valley Agriculture Association (PVAA) of Vacaville is hosting its first-ever Open Farm Day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.