We were pleased to hear that Helen Craig’s proposal entitled, “Educating and empowering UMD students on the importance of insect biodiversity in sustainability,” was funded for 2023. Insects are well known to the public as pollinators, but less recognized is their importance at degrading wood and other plant debris in forests and parkland, the decomposition of dead animals left on the ground, and their value in cleaning flowing water. In this proposal, we intend to begin an education program to familiarize the students, staff, and faculty at the University of Maryland about the value of insects towards sustainability of human interaction with the environment, and connect their value to the preservation of our society. Our project objectives are:

1. To provide collections of insects and educational materials for display cases on campus to illustrate insect biodiversity and important ecosystem services provided by insects,
2. To engage undergraduate students (paid and volunteer) to learn to collect and identify these insects for the display cases, and
3. To provide outreach to the campus community through student organization involvement, iNaturalist, and social media.

These display cases and interactive experiences will foster a greater appreciation and respect for insects, especially those in agriculture, creating a larger community of people who are interested in using entomology as a force to improve sustainability.