FOPOS Spooky Insect Talk and Evening Walk

Join FOPOS and Entomologist Alexander N. Rudin at the Mountain Lakes House for a spooky bug talk and nighttime walk. Step into the spooky side of the insect world with FOPOS and Entomologist Alexander N. Rudin at the Mountain Lakes House for a bug talk and walk. Insects, arachnids, and centipedes have been inspiring myths and folktales across many cultures for thousands of years. Alex will guide you through the most macabre of their tales, where they play the roles of wandering souls, omens of death, protectors from the dark, and much more, while he unravels the scientific truths behind these incredible, spooky stories. In addition, Alex will explore the etymology of entomology and uncover the scary stories hidden within the names themselves. After Alex's talk, we'll head outside and look for insects on the grounds of the Mountain Lakes House in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. FOPOS's stewardship team will set up a 'light trap' along a woodland border near the Mountain Lakes House. There, participants will be able to view moths and other nighttime species. Come celebrate Halloween with FOPOS and discover the spooky side of the insect world! Please note, this event is geared towards those ages 12+ as it is an evening event and will involve walking outside in the dusk and dark. Time: The event starts promptly at 6:30pm. Please arrive between 6:15 - 6:25 so that you can sign in, and we can begin on time. Meetup Location: We will meet at Mountain Lakes House. Directions & Parking: We will meet at the Mountain Lake House, located within the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Here is a link to the Mountain Lakes House parking lot location on Google Maps & Apple Maps. The address of the Preserve is 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540; this will bring you to the entrance of the Preserve, not our meet-up location. To get to the Mountain Lakes House parking lot, look for the white gate along Mountain Avenue, marked by a series of black mailboxes along the road. Drive slowly down the long paved driveway. The gravel parking lot will be on your left, approximately 1/2 mile down the driveway. What to wear: We recommend wearing long pants and boots -- this will protect you from any possible thorny plants, wet or muddy areas if we venture into the woodland border. Please avoid wearing bug spray, so we don't repel the moths. Event Waiver: Please complete FOPOS's online waiver. This waiver needs to be completed once per calendar year for volunteers and event participants.