Bugs Need Love Too, Kids Learn

Susan Van Vorhis Key loves insects, so much so that she spent countless hours studying the behavior of ants for her doctorate thesis at UC Riverside in the early 1990s.

But what she did not love was the isolation of those countless hours in the laboratory.

So these days, Key--also known as “Dr. Sue”--is spending less time in front of the microscope and more time imparting entomological wisdom to schoolchildren, mostly in the Orange County area.

She recently brought her traveling Insect and Arthropod Zoo--including furry tarantulas, hissing cockroaches and emperor scorpions--to delighted first-graders in her hometown of Tustin.

For Key, who developed a passion for the small creatures at an early age, teaching children about insects is more than attaching long Latin names to the bugs. Her goal is to pass along an appreciation for the diversity of nature and a respect for every creature’s place in it.

“I want to help the kids understand that everyone and everything is unique,” said Key, 44. “There’s so much diversity in the world that we need not to judge, but see its value.”

Key, who lectures wearing a brimmed hat and vest adorned with colorful plastic butterflies, beetles, spiders and other insects, also stresses environmental protection. It’s not just the whales and bald eagles that need saving, she says.

“We put so much pesticide on our planet without understanding all the [usefulness] of these creatures,” she said. “There’s 200,000 ants for every person on this planet, running around and cleaning stuff up. And flies, for example, are the most critical food supply for birds and fish. If flies were to disappear, we’d have serious problems.”

Key’s zoo also includes a silkworm display, dozens of dazzling pinned butterflies from around the globe, several different kinds of millipedes, beetles, mealworms and cockroaches, and more. She has presented her insect zoo in programs at the Orange County Fair, Santa Ana Zoo, science camps, schools and even birthday parties.

During her recent visit to Tustin, the students listened intently to the presentation and were able to touch some of the insects.

Six-year-old Brianna Babtkis said she found the silkworms the most interesting.

Holding a small worm in her hand, she said, “Aren’t they beautiful? I think they’re the cutest things. I want one.”

Information on Key’s traveling insect zoo: (714) 731-2040.