Why Folks at the Bohart Museum of Entomology Are Smiling--And So Very Grateful

Why Folks at the Bohart Museum of Entomology Are Smiling--And So Very Grateful

If the folks at the Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis are smiling even more than usual, that's because their UC Davis CrowdFund project resulted in 120 percent funded! In a month-long campaign, they were seeking $5000 by Oct. 31 and donors generously provided them with a total of $6000.

The funds will be used for the student educational projects: creating traveling specimen display boxes to be shown in school classrooms, fairs, festivals, museums, hospitals, libraries, special events and the like, such as 4-H programs. 

As they say on their website: "The Bohart Museum of Entomology is a research collection and public museum dedicated to understanding, documenting and communicating terrestrial arthropod diversity. In our 75th year, the Bohart has maintained a robust outreach program that typically connects with over 10,000 people each year. Portable educational boxes have been a great way for us to share the museum experience with others. Housed in the same specimen boxes that we use for the research collection, these displays travel all over Northern California to festivals, events, museums, hospitals and classrooms. UC Davis students, staff, teachers and scout leaders routinely borrow these materials to enrich their programs."

The museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology, originated in 1946 with two Schmitt boxes of insect specimens collected by noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007), UC Davis professor of entomology and museum founder. Named the Bohart Museum in 1982, it is now the home of nearly eight million insect specimens, collected worldwide.

The Bohart Museum, currently closed to the public due to COVID-19 precautions, is located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus. In addition to its insect collection, the seventh largest in North America, it houses a live “petting zoo,” comprised of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick insects and tarantulas, and a gift shop (now online), stocked with insect-themed t-shirts, hoodies, jewelry, books, posters and other items. Further information is on the website at https://bohart.ucdavis.edu.

The donors (those who donated anonymously are not listed) in the UC Davis CrowdFund drive:

  • Attardo Family
  • Dustin Blakey
  • In Honor of Lynn Kimsey from Jason and Kristen Bond
  • In Honor of Lynn Kimsey from Bonnie Bradt
  • Bjorn Bush
  • Joanna Chiu
  • Molly Ferrell
  • Glen Forister
  • In Honor of Tabatha Yang from Elaine Gibson
  • In Honor of Lynn Kimsey from Jessica Gillung
  • In Memory of Robbin W. Thorp from James Matthew Gonzales-Harris
  • Tiki Harlow
  • Timotheus Itoi
  • In Memory of Nick Booster from Hanna Kahl
  • In Memory of Robbin Thorp, (1933-2019) UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of  entomology from Kathy Keatley Garvey
  • In Memory of Richard M. Bohart from Lynn Kimsey
  • Stephanie Kurniawan
  • In Memory of Michel MJ Lavoipierre from his children Frédérique, Xavier, and Philippe Lavoipierre
  • Pam Marrone and Mick Rogers
  • Gwyneth Morris
  • Eric Mussen
  • Michelle Posey
  • Oliver Ramsey
  • Linda Rosenfield and Arnold Menke
  • Nancie Ryan
  • Heather Sabin
  • Luana Staiger
  • James Starrett
  • In Honor of Tabatha Yang from Ralph Washington Jr.
  • Nancy Williams
  • Valerie Williamson
  • Karey Windbiel-Rojas
  • In Honor of Kathy Keatley Garvey and her Bug Squad Blog from an Anonymous Donor
  • In Honor of Earth's Flora and Fauna from an Anonymous Donor
  • In Honor of Tabatha Yang from an Anonymous Donor
  • And all other Anonymous Donors