It's a bug's life at Fota!

This month sees the return of the Bug Bonanza Weekend!

Taking place on 16 and 17 August as part of Fota Wildlife Park’s Educational Weekends line-up, the weekend will focus on invertebrate biodiversity, including talks and displays on insect life both local and exotic.

It the last of three themed weekends at Fota covering science, native species, and insect life will be held at Fota Wildlife Park’s Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) and are included with entry.

This year’s programme opened with the Wild Science Weekend on 12 and 13 July featuring a range of interactive displays, talks, and demonstrations designed to make science topics accessible to all ages. Then the Native Species Weekend took place on 26 and 27 July and focussed on Ireland’s rich biodiversity, with a series of interactive exhibits and biofacts highlighting the country’s native wildlife and conservation efforts.

Aileen Tennant, the director of Fota Wildlife Park, said: “Fota Wildlife Park, a conservation charity, aims to inspire people to understand and conserve the natural world through conservation education and one of the great tools we have to engage our visitors is the summer series of educational weekends. We want to spark curiosity and connect visitors with science, nature and wildlife.

“These weekends give families a chance to explore complex ideas in a hands-on, accessible way, with the help of expert partners from across science, academic and conservation fields.”

She added: “Fota Wildlife Park protects endangered species through dedicated conservation efforts and educates the public about the importance of biodiversity.

“As a living classroom, through initiatives like these interactive educational weekends, Fota Wildlife Park aims to raise awareness of endangered species, foster a culture of conservation, and inspire every visitor to become a lifelong guardian of the natural world.”

For more, see fotawildlife.ie.