Small Wonders: The Expansive World of Insects | Swaner EcoCenter

Leading up to Earth Day (April 22nd) the kids and I are exploring some amazing exhibits and parks in Utah that highlight natural wonders and Earth conservation! Our first stop was the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter in Park City,  to check out their newest exhibit, 

Small Wonders: The Expansive World of Insects. Running now until Monday May 15th.

Normally I'm not one to "Ooo and Ahh" over insects! However, the displays of preserved butterflies, beetles and other small wonders had the kids and I completely fascinated! 

Being able to get a close up look is really neat and the exhibits include great information! Like, "What makes an insect an insect?", "What makes a bug a true bug?" and breaking down the classifications! 

We really enjoyed the Utah specific displays, especially learning about how Utah came to be known as the Beehive state and the importance of Honeybees! 

This hands on display offers a Beekeeping suit for the kids to try on, a smoker, wooden hive and a cute story about being a beekeeper!

Thursday May 4th from 6pm-8pm, the preserve is presenting a special event,

Get to know the Bee's in Your Backyard. This event will have North American Bee expert, Dr. Joseph Wilson discussing how much we really know about the pollinators in our yards! The event costs $5 or is free for Swaner members. To save your spot register here, Get to know the Bee's in Your Backyard. 

My two year old especially loved playing at this display with plastic bugs, magnifying glasses and little bug catcher nets! 

We learned about Insect metamorphosis and insect diversity, these displays were great visuals!

My kids totally are big into arts and crafts and loved being able to make their own butterflies to take home as token treasures of our visit to the preserve. 

And don't forget to visit the front desk to try different flavored Crickets and cast your vote! Even my two year old tried the chocolate (and loved it, he ate 3)! Chocolate was in the lead when we visited but my Ten year old also liked the BBQ!

We had a great time exploring this new exhibit but we also loved exploring the rest of the center! Make sure to visit the viewing tower and take a walk on the outside deck! We saw Elk and Red-winged blackbirds! 

I totally fell in love with this quote by John Muir that was displayed on one of the walls, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”

Places like the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter are vital tools for teaching our kids about this fascinating and beautiful world we live in! 

Thanks to Tiffany @tiffanydetweiler for the info!