Bugs, Bats, & Bebidas
March 29 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
LIVE MUSIC – LOCAL VENDORS – FOOD & DRINKS
Join us for Bugs, Bats, & Bebidas at Las Milpitas Community Farm on March 29th, 5 – 9 PM. All ages are welcome!
Discover the Buzz about Pollinators
According to the USDA, bees of all sorts pollinate approximately 75 percent of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States, and one out of every four bites of food people take is courtesy of bee pollination. And on a global level, 35% of the world’s food crops rely on animal pollination! Without pollinators cacao wouldn’t exist. And the amazing agaves we get tequila from? Well, their primary pollinators are bats and without them it would be really hard to have agaves!
Pollinator Parade
Wear a costume or make one at one of the stations. Prizes awarded for best bug and best pollinator costumes.
Activity Stations
Activity stations will be setup and run by the Desert Museum, the U of A Entomology Department, the Tucson Bee Collaborative, Pima County Master Naturalists, Tucson Clean and Beautiful, and Desert Harvesters.
Food, Art & Apparel
- Food trucks/stations (Ensenada Street Food, Empanadas El Dominicano,) as well as some delicious dessert from Delicias de Michoacan Ice Cream Shop and VaBo Bakes.
- Beverages provided by Dragoon Brewing and Wild Tonic Sparkling Jun.
- Milpitas gardeners and friends will be selling hats, art, and jewelry that celebrate our Sonoran Desert wildlife & plant life.
Live Music
“The Egg Thieves” are a Southwestern Americana street band out of Tucson, Arizona. Writing original songs influenced by metal, punk, bluegrass, gypsy jazz and the blues, they are sure to kick up some dust! High energy songs and improvised leads provide an exciting and entertaining performance.
iNaturalist Bioblitz
During Tucson’s City Nature Challenge, we’ll have QR codes printed around the site so folks can join the project and record their wildlife and plant observations!
About Our Co-Hosts
The Tucson Bee Collaborative arose as a partnership between faculty and staff of the University of Arizona Entomology Department, the Pima Community College Department of Biology, and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s Conservation Education and Science Department. Our unique location drives this partnership. With over 800 species of bees known so far, the Sonoran Desert and Southeast Arizona is estimated to be home to one of areas of high bee diversity in the world. The Sonoran Desert has been rated the most biodiverse desert on Earth. Combine this with the extraordinary biodiversity of the Sky Islands that rise above the desert, and Southeast Arizona is one of the most remarkable regions in the United States.
Founded in 1952, the Desert Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization widely recognized as a model institution for immersive and innovative interpretation of native plants and animals in their natural habitat. The 98- acre Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ is regularly recognized as a top-tier facility due to its pioneering approach to interpreting the complete natural history of a single region. It is a zoo, botanical garden, art gallery and natural history museum, all rolled into one. The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert. To learn more, visit www.desertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
The Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona has an internationally renowned faculty dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and extension. Faculty expertise encompasses fundamental insect biology, pest management, and outreach. https://ag.arizona.edu/ento/
