About Entomology/Arthropod Meetup

Offerings
Ultimately and optimistically, this group will provide:

• Lectures by research and field scientists, professionals, and hobbyists
  
• Outings to specimen collections at various museums
  
• The chance to join national conventions
  
• Potential collecting and identification trips
  
• Wine, cheese, snacks, and good humor at regular intervals
  

Members
While we may seem a discerning group, our requirements for membership are pretty simple: You should have (or convincingly feign) interest in subject at hand and be pleasant to fellownerds and speakers. If you can manage that, we'll take you!

Why Entomology?
Entomology is an absolutely fascinating field--with over one million described (that's just described) species of insects worldwide. In terms of individuals, there are between 80 million and 100 million insects walking around, over, and amongst us. That boils down to 750 per square foot. Which makes an entomological interest pretty portable. Sidewalks, lawns, and small urban yards, are teeming with subjects. Not to mention, forests, pastures, and even our rivers and lakes.

In addition to being the most succesful (and by successful, I mean plentiful) animals on Earth, insects are key indicators of environmental stresses. Because of the importance of their relationship to plants and animals, the growth, decline, and extinction of just one species can carry an enormous impact.