GREAT BRITISH INSECTS: NATIONAL INSECT WEEK RETURNS

GREAT BRITISH INSECTS: NATIONAL INSECT WEEK RETURNS 25 June – 1 July 2012  The Royal Entomological Society will be celebrating all that is ‘great’ about British insects next year with the return of National Insect Week 2012. National Insect Week takes ‘Great British Insects’ as its theme drawing upon the celebrations around the Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee of the Society’s Patron HM The Queen.  2012 will be the fifth time the Royal Entomological Society has celebrated National Insect Week, the biennial initiative to promote awareness of the value of a diverse insect world to the environment. Through a high profile launch and a nationwide programme of interactive fun events and activities for all the family, National Insect Week brings the insect world to life. An interactive website www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk gives visitors all the information they need to get involved, from finding out more about events taking place locally to a photography competition and advice on bringing more British insects into our gardens. Supported by more than 50 national partner organisations concerned about natural history and biodiversity, National Insect Week first took place in 2004 and has built year on year. In 2010 alone the initiative reached an audience of over 104 million people through high profile media activity and over 200 events across the country. Luke Tilley, National Insect Week coordinator, said: “We already have some exciting plans in the pipeline including an initiative to create a ‘dream team’ of Olympic insectsand working with a high profile chef to create some insect-themed menus. We will be marking the Diamond Jubilee of our Patron, HRH The Queen, and, as usual, there will be a whole host of activities for kids including the gruesome, yet fascinating ‘Crime Scene Insects’ to get children interested in forensic entomology. Local and regional wildlife organisations will be hosting their own events up and down the country to allow children and adults explore the wonderful world of insects for themselves.”