Entomology outreach drawers – the good, the bad and the beneficial

Abstract

The KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, has an outreach programme to educate school children and members of the public, as well as to promote the Museum. The Museum has both Natural and Human Science departments that participate in outreach activities alongside the education and marketing departments. The Entomology division of the Natural Science department has several drawers of specimens that are used for outreach. Some are specifically made for this purpose, while others are examples of what research specimens look like before they are labelled and deposited into the scientific collection. The audiences and places where outreach is conducted are discussed along with challenges faced, illustrating what works well and what sort of responses to expect.