Updates
UMD Insect Zoo Campaign Reached Goal with 6 Days Remaining!
A massive thank you to everyone who pitched in, shared our posts, and cheered us on. We are humbled by the breadth of the support from over 60 donors so far. Thanks to your incredible generosity, we officially hit our fundraising goal 6 days early! With the 1:1 match we will be able to bring FREE, hands-on STEM insect programming to 20 Title I schools across the DMV in 2027!
With 6 days reaming, we are keeping the fundraiser open to see if we can flutter past our goal to support additional zoo initiatives:
$2500 will help us purchase digital camera equipment to share the insect zoo with broader audiences online, as well as enhance our real-world experiences
$2000 will allow us to hire undergraduate student interns for a semester to create content and bring more of the zoo to our digital platforms, reaching a wider audience than we can only in person
Thank you again for your incredible generosity to the University of Maryland Insect Zoo and support of our mission delivering accessible, world-class arthropod education across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.
$10
Roly-Poly
Your donations help the Insect Zoo keep rolling! This level supplies a whole week of fresh greens, fruits, and veggies for our hungry herbivores.
$25
Glowspot Roach
Glowspot roaches have 2 bright orange spots on their back. Your donation helps our Insect Zoo with its next "Glow Up"—funding a brand-new critter keeper terrarium!
$100
Walking Sticks
Did you know Maryland is home to the Northern Walking Stick (Diapheromera femorata)? Your $100 gift helps us travel to schools across the state, bringing hands-on insect education to rural and Title 1 classrooms free of charge.
$500
Mantis
There are at least 1,700 species of praying mantises worldwide. This level funds a custom-made climate-controlled rearing station equipped with precision lighting and automated humidity controls to safely raise rare exotic mantises—like Ghosts and Orchids—from cute hatchlings to adults we can let people hold.
$1,000
Rosie's Club
Sponsor our star Chilean Rose Tarantula, Rosie, and fund hands-on learning! Your $1,000 donation covers a full semester's overhead for one student employee while keeping Rosie, Stella, Taco, and Oscar fed and ready to meet the community.