Photo By Desmond Martin | Lt. Nicholas Johnston, operations director at the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence...... read more read more
The Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE) held their second annual Bug-O-Ween Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) event, October 13, 2023, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.
The event lasted three hours with more than 600 adult and youth visitors taking advantage of the opportunity to explore the Center’s attractions that included a display of ancient insect fossils millions of years old.
Members of Bishop Kenny’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) volunteered their time to assist NECE in support of the event.
Guided by NECE Entomologists, participants were invited to touch living animals and insects that are housed at the center, including hissing cockroaches, snakes, and tailless whip scorpions.
Information about NECE’s history, closeup displays of thousands of different insects, a station that provided an opportunity to find a fossilized insect in sandstone, face painting, bounce houses, and insect snacks were also available to visitors. Bug-O-Ween also included scavenger and treasure hunts of the insects on display for prizes.
“NECE loves giving back to our community and hosting events like this,” said NECE Officer in Charge, Cmdr. Ian Sutherland. “Where else can you have so much spooky fun while discussing vector-borne disease and encouraging scientific exploration? So many people have told me ‘I didn’t even know the Navy had specialties like this’. Who knows if tomorrow’s corpsman or entomologist is among our visitors?”
Bug-O-Ween not only entertains but also promotes awareness about the importance of insects in our world. This event aimed to showcase the diversity of insects while also educating the public about their importance in our ecosystem and the significance of NECE’s mission.
“Our annual Bug-O-Ween event brought colleagues together in a fun and spirited way, fostering collaboration and camaraderie within the command,” said Hospital Corpsman Second Class Mauro Ortiz, lead petty officer for Global Health Operations. “Within my short time here at NECE, I’ve learned the pivotal roles each entomologist has in the fight against vector-borne diseases. Events like Bug-O-Ween are a great way to showcase to the community all the skilled entomologists and preventive medicine technicians the Navy has to offer. I look forward to next year’s event.”
NECE is the Navy and Marine Corps’ center of excellence for operational entomology located at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. NECE’s unique DoD mission is to develop and evaluate novel products, pesticides, and technologies to better protect deployed forces from vectors of disease. NECE also provides operational medical entomology and pest management training to DoD military and civilian personnel and is the program manager for all Navy shipboard pest management. NECE plays a key role in supporting national strategic interests through engagement and exchange with foreign health and military partners.
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2023 10:28 |
| Story ID: | 457706 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NECE Goes Jurassic at Second Annual “Bug-O-Ween” STEM Event, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
