Skip to main content

Discover the Grounds: Good Bug, Bad Bug

Nature
Bellows/Cassatt Rooms
FREE
This event has passed
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be closed Monday, May 13, to prepare for the visit of Antiques Roadshow. We will return to normal hours of operation Wednesday, May 15.
An insect sits in the middle of a large pink flower.

Discover the fascinating, beautiful, and practical sides of the museum’s natural setting in this free, nature-themed class!

Led by the Trails and Grounds duo of Landscape and Outdoor Experience Manager Samantha Best and Manager of Horticulture Operations Joanna Mentzer, each month you’ll explore a new aspect of the natural world and see for yourself how it can inspire, inform, and shape our connection to nature. Best of all, you’ll learn practical applications to help you more easily and sustainably care for your own outdoor space.

This month, we’re taking a look at which insects are our friends, and which ones just plain bug us! Led by Samantha and Joanna, you’ll get to explore insects that live in Northwest Arkansas, how they can benefit the landscape, and to sustainably address insects that you don’t want in your garden or backyard.

See you there!

Free, tickets required. Reserve your spot online or by calling Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 today.

 

About the Instructors

portrait of samantha best

Samantha Best

Samantha is a passionate advocate for connecting people to outdoor spaces. Using design, storytelling, and usually lots of hand-waving, she loves to welcome people into nature while showing them ways to become intimately connected to it. You can often find her on the trails eating flowers, wandering with her eyes toward the tree canopy, or intently analyzing a site. Occasionally she’s been known to pull aside someone on the trail to have them touch, smell, or taste a plant, so if you see her on the trails, beware!

 

Joanna Mentzer

Joanna Mentzer

Joanna, AKA Jo, spent her happiest times in the outdoors as a child flipping rocks, building forts, and crick piddling. As an adult, she has found a way to satisfy her inner child and express her gratitude to the beauty of the Ozarks by pouring her efforts into the landscapes at Crystal Bridges. You may find her with the horticulture crew attacking invasive plants, planting new landscapes, or quietly stalking pollinators on flowers to capture the perfect picture. Wherever you find Joanna outside, you can be sure you have found her in her happy place doing all she can to preserve it.