Bugs & Bites

September 18, 2024
6:00 P.M. – 9 P.M. 
FREE EVENT / FAMILY FRIENDLY / Accessible in english and spanish

As part of this year’s Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival, we are pleased to host our third annual Bugs & Bites at the Playground Bar & Lounge. Join Sonoran Institute’s Santa Cruz River experts, Michael T. Bogan and Rocio Guzman from University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Jorge Jimenez from the University of Sonora, Hermosillo, as they unveil the mesmerizing world of dragonflies and venomous creatures of the Sonoran Desert. Discover the intricacies of bug anatomy, how venom is being used to treat diseases like cancer and uncover the astounding adaptations that have allowed them to evolve and survive in the Sonoran Desert. Join us for a fun family-friendly evening while relaxing in a fun downtown Tucson venue! 

Where: Playground Bar and Lounge (278 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701) 

When: Wednesday, September 18th, from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Presentations will start at 6:30 P.M.

 
Jorge Jimenez Canale works with venomous critters (snakes, scorpions and spiders) and nanotechnology, to develop anticancer systems. He has his bachelor’s in biology, Master’s in Nanotechnology and PhD in Material Sciences, from the University of Sonora. He is also an avid nature photographer and science communicator.
Rocío Guzman is an ecologist from Sonora, Mexico. She is currently a PhD student at the Aquatic Ecology Lab of the University of Arizona and is studying dragonflies and damselflies in urban areas of the Sonoran Desert.
Dr. Michael Bogan is an assistant professor at the UArizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and he currently serves as the president of the Desert Fishes Council. His research focuses on how disturbance and dispersal processes shape biodiversity in aquatic and riparian ecosystems.

All are welcome to join!

While this is an open-door event, registration requested but not required.

REGISTER

Food menu and drinks will be available for purchase at Playground.