Bugs! Our Backyard Heroes

Bugs may have a reputation for being small, scaly and scary but some creepy crawlies are actually superheroes in disguise!

Bugs! Our Backyard Heroes is a family-friendly, hands-on educational experience that brings visitors face-to-face with some real live mini-monsters. The exhibition explores the secret world of bugs and the vital role they play in our lives without us even realising it!

Featuring ‘Eugene’, the giant centipede, and his friends the tree weetaa, stick insects, locusts, crickets, cockroaches and Avondale spiders, the exhibition provides an opportunity to learn about different native species of bugs in New Zealand and the sometimes precarious position they hold in the ecosystem.

There are plenty of hands-on activities for youngsters to get involved in, including how to become a citizen scientist and how bugs inspire those on the frontline of technology.

Education programmes are available for this exhibition.  (Developed and toured by Puke Ariki. Photo credit: Puke Ariki.)