PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY LIVESTREAM: Bugs & People - Butterflies and Moths

July 08, 2021
6:30pm - 8:00pm

What do cicadas and people have in common? Both are re-emerging and re-uniting this summer.

Inspired by the return of Brood X or the Great Eastern Brood of periodical cicadas, the People's University at the Ohio County Public Library is offering an 8-class summer series on entomology (insect biology) called "PU Livestream: Bugs & People." The series will feature some of the best entomologists and experts from all over North America to teach attendees about the six major insect orders, as well as the history of human and insect interaction, a subject known as cultural entomology. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions still affecting in-person library gatherings, the series will remain an online live stream (see below for details of how to view), which facilitates the nationwide, prestigious faculty.

CLASS 7: Butterflies and Moths: Metamorphosis, Migrations, and Monitorings

Abstract: Lepidopterans, moths and butterflies, are some of the best-loved and most charismatic insects on the planet. Butterflies capture the imagination of people from all over the world, which makes them excellent candidates for engaging citizen scientists and casual observers. This talk will provide a basic overview of butterflies and moths, will touch on the epic monarch migration, and will provide information on ways anyone can get involved in current butterfly science.

Instructor Bio: Kathryn Hokamp, former Lepidopterist at Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado, Entomologist at Houston Museum of Natural Science, and coordinator of the Texas Butterfly Monitoring Network, specializes in the husbandry of Lepidoptera, a major insect order that includes about 180,000 species of butterflies and moths. Kathryn is a 2016 graduate of Rice University with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is interested in citizen science as a research tool, particularly with regard to butterflies, moths, and other insects.

This program will be available to watch live on Facebook Live, on YouTube, and on the OCPL website's People's University People & Bugs Livestream page.  Log into your Facebook or YouTube account during the program to leave questions for our presenters in the comments box. They will answer them during the live broadcast. 

Help track the migration of monarch butterflies!

In its 25th year, Journey North is one of North America’s premiere citizen science programs for people of all ages. The project has broad participation, with over 60,000 registered sites in the US, Canada, and Mexico — including families, teachers, schools, nature centers, professional scientists, and novices. Journey North provides an easy entry point to citizen science, with simple protocols, strong online support, and immediate results. Reported sightings are mapped in real-time as waves of migrations move across the continent. People report sightings from the field, view maps, take pictures, and leave comments.

Create an account with Journey North to report your monarch butterfly sightings at https://journeynorth.org/sightings/.

FEATURED BOOK:
Rare, Declining and Poorly Known Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Forests and Woodlands in the Eastern United States,  by Dale F. Schweitzer, Marc C. Minno, David L. Wagner. (orest Health Technology Enterprise Team, 2011)
[Reserve a copy from the Library | Download the pdf online for free]

Lepidoptera are the butterflies and moths. These insects are characterized by having the legs, wings, and body covered with scales. The Appalachians and other mountains from Georgia to Maine provide a myriad of landscape complexities and microclimates that allow many different species to live in this region, sometimes in areas far removed from their normal ranges. The world is changing at a rapid pace. On a global scale, natural areas are being converted at an unprecedented rate to agricultural, industrial, and urban uses. Climate change, invasive exotic species, overly abundant deer, altered fire regimes, and other factors are threatening the remaining natural areas and preserves in our region. This book addresses globally or regionally, rare and declining moths and butterflies of wooded communities found in states east of the Mississippi River. 

Participants in this summer's People's U will have the opportunity to learn about insects while becoming eligible to win various insect-related prizes through interaction with the instructors. 

Classes for People’s University LIVESTREAM—"Bugs & People," will meet on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm, May 27 through July 15, with an in-person field trip to be scheduled the week after our last class. All programs are free and open to the public. Patrons may attend as many classes as they wish. There are no tests or other requirements. For more info about the People’s University LIVESTREAM—"Physical Science, the Joy of Discovery," email [email protected], visit the OCPL's website, or call 304-232-0244.

➤ View a full schedule of classes and instructors for People's U: Bugs and People
➤ View our full calendar of events to see our upcoming programs

See full Instructor Bios and Class Abstracts, visit: www.facebook.com/peoplesuniversityOCPL. Click on “Events.” Also, check back for information on a field trip to be scheduled the week after our last class.

- People's University Online-
Thursdays from 6:30 pm to 8 pm on YouTube Live and Facebook Live

Subscribe to the People's University Youtube channel or like us on the People's University Facebook page or to receive notifications of our upcoming People's U broadcasts. To receive emails about our upcoming programs, visit our News page, click the "Subscribe" button to sign-up for our news blasts or download our free OCPL Connect app from your smartphone's app store. 

ABOUT THE OCPL'S PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY SERIES:

In 1951, the Ohio County Public Library's librarian, Virginia Ebeling, referenced British historian Thomas Carlyle, who said, “the public library is a People’s University,” when she initiated a new adult education program with that name. Miss Ebeling charged the library with the responsibility of reaching “as many people in the community as possible.” In keeping with that tradition of public libraries as sanctuaries of free learning for all people, the Ohio County Public Library revived the series in 2010.

The People’s University features courses (taught by experts in each subject) that enable patrons to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in classic subjects such as history, music appreciation, philosophy, and literature. Patrons may attend as many classes as they wish. There are no tests of other requirements and all programs are free and open to the public. For more information about PU Livestream, Bugs & People, EMAIL US,  visit ohiocountylibrary.org or call the library at 304-232-0244.