SMITHSONIAN O. ORKIN INSECT SAFARI

It may seem odd for a pest management company and a manufacturer of pest management products to sponsor a 53-foot mobile unit that promotes the same insects they spend most of their efforts eliminating. But that is exactly what Orkin Pest Control and Bayer Corporation are doing.

“The 100-city Smithsonian O. Orkin Insect Safari is the most ambitious insect education initiative ever undertaken,” said Gary W. Rollins, president and COO of Orkin. “It’s a fun way to learn about insects and their important role in our environment — and it’s free to everyone.”

To bolster the education of America’s students, Orkin Pest Control, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Bayer Corporation’s Professional Care business unit teamed up to introduce the Smithsonian O. Orkin Insect Safari. The traveling exhibit, which was launched in March and travels through November, will visit more than 100 cities educating students of all ages about science, specifically about insects. “The exhibit will maintain the highest education standards set forth by the Smithsonian, rendering it a welcome supplement to school environments, science class activities, museum curricula and zoo attractions nationwide,” Rollins said.

Housed in a multi-colored 53-foot mobile unit, the Insect Safari is filled with interactive displays, scientific facts and an array of imaginative, colorful illustrations. Speakers and entomologists guide visitors through the separate exhibit rooms and engage students in safari-related learning exercises. The exhibit also features live insects provided by local zoos, universities and museums along the tour route.

“The Insect Safari allows us to reach students the way they learn most effectively — by hands-on, inquiry-based teaching,” said Reneé Holmes, communications manager, Bayer Professional Care. “Bayer Corporation is dedicated to advancing science literacy, especially among young people who will become the scientists, researchers and professionals of the future.”

In addition to a visit from the exhibit-on-wheels, schools along the tour route receive enrichment learning materials both before and after the tour. Teachers can visit the exhibit’s interactive Web site, www.InsectSafari.com, to access creative lesson plans, activity ideas and games for students. And, the exhibit incorporates themes that mirror learning objectives set by National Science Education Standards, a comprehensive list of objectives developed by teachers, administrators and scientists to improve science education in grades K-12.

In addition, Orkin arranges for an area entomologist to be present at each tour stop. “We asked the entomologists to bring their own insect collections so visitors could get an up close and personal look at the different insects that exist in the world,” said Martha May, director of public relations, Orkin Pest Control.

According to May, Orkin goes through several avenues to get entomologists to the Insect Safari. “We contacted the Entomological Society of America and several universities that Orkin has done re-search with in the past,” she said. “Some-times the venue that’s hosting the event will know of an entomologist.”

The Insect Safari exhibit is free to all visitors. For more information about the Insect Safari, including up-to-date routing schedules of the exhibit, be sure to visit www.InsectSafari.com or www.BayerProCentral.com.