"You are never too old to learn something new and never too young to teach a thing or two"

Who We Are
Since 2014, Entomica has shared the fascinating, hidden, and often misunderstood world of insects. We believe that insects possess an outstanding ability to create a spark of curiosity that will lead to a passion for lifelong learning and discovery. Entomica showcases insects to our visitors and uses their fantastic forms and diversity to provide inspiring and educational experiences. Our focus is on personal interaction, and hands on experience for deeper learning. We are the first insectarium in Canada that is federally approved to transport our exotic insects outside of our secure location. As such, we are able to bring a live experience to participants and deliver interactive, hands-on programming.

Since our inception, we have won a number of awards for our programming at the national, provincial, and local level.

Awards include:
1. Best Program for a Small Institution for "Science for Seniors", Canadian Association of Science Centers, 2016 Cascade Award.
2. Making a Difference in Canada Award, Canadian Association of Science Centers, 2016. Awarded to our Founder, John Dedes, for his work with Entomica.
3. Social Entrepreneurship of the Year, Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Center Awards, 2016.
4. Best New Science Festival in Ontario, Festival and Events Ontario, February 2017.

Our History
Entomica is the business name of the Sault Ste. Marie Insectarium (SSMI), a not-for-profit corporation established in January of 2017. The SSMI was preceded by the for-profit corporation Entomica Inc., which was established in 2013 as a part of the Destination North plans for redevelopment of the former St Mary’s paper mill site. In 2014, with support from Riversedge Developments, Entomica Inc. opened a temporary insectarium facility at the former fish hatchery building now known as the Mill Market. The response from the community for the insectarium was incredible! Unfortunately, by the end of 2016, funding via the Destination North development did not come to fruition. Therefore, Entomica transitioned to operate under a not-for-profit model as the Sault Ste. Marie Insectarium (SSMI), keeping “Entomica” as the business name, as the name is recognized and established in the community. 

Our Cause
The "Science for Seniors" Program is a science-based educational outreach program that engages seniors in the development, presentation and participation of live insect experiences at their retirement residence. It is unique in that it reaches citizens whose opportunity for lifelong learning is restricted by mobility or health issues. The program engages seniors in the fascinating and often misunderstood world of insects. We have a variety of exotic insects and invertebrates, including, walking stick insects, praying mantis, scorpion and even tarantulas! Often, what begins with fear and trepidation, turns into laughter, joy and a genuine interest in learning more about these amazing creatures!

The program aims to engage seniors in learning and encourage them to teach others about their experience. In addition, seniors who have experienced the program are encouraged (if able) to share their knowledge by becoming a volunteer presenter and science ambassador for Entomica.  

The Ask
As part of Science North’s Science Festival in April 2018, Entomica visited seven senior citizen retirement residences in Sault Ste. Marie. The funding for this program allowed us to make one visit each to seven residences in Sault Ste. Marie. We would like to expand the program to include additional locations, comprising all retirement residences, senior drop-in centers, and Elder First Nations homes in Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region. In addition, we would like to be able to do multiple visits per year. 

There are costs associated with bringing the insects outside of our facility at the Mill Market and providing a hands-on outreach program. These include, staffing, transportation and permit costs. In addition, there is a cost to purchase additional insects, food and travelling display habitats for the expanded program. 

Costs
Any size of donation will help with these costs.  Please donate!

Staff and Transportation $250
Generally, we charge $250 for each visit to a senior citizen retirement residence to cover some of our costs for staffing, transportation and permits. Your donation would help us to lower this cost. 

Insect Orders $2000
Our insects are ethically sourced from Entopia, which is an insect rearing facility and insectarium in Malaysia. Each insect order costs approximately $2000, depending on the number of insects ordered and shipping/brokerage costs. We generally do 2-3 insect orders per year. Since insects have a very short lifespan, we need to constantly replenish our insect stocks with new orders. Your donation would help us purchase more insects!

Food for Insects $100
Once we have our insects, they need a safe, secure environment to live and plenty of food to eat. The cost of feeding our insects is approximately $100 per month. Our insects live in a contained lab and each insect species has its own living and feeding requirements. Some insects may require specialized plants to live with and feed on, while others eat locally accessible fruits and leaves. For instance, many of our insects feed on leaves from the guava plant. These plants are in short supply and must be carefully kept in greenhouse conditions. During the summer months, some of the insects feed on locally sourced raspberry and oak leaves. Our insects also feed on romaine lettuce, sweet potato, squash, cucumber, oranges, and even jello! Our predatory insects feed on locally raised moths and mealworms. Your donation can help us feed our insects!

Insect Homes $100
When we take our insects out of their secured lab environment for display, they need a safe, secure but beautiful environment to be displayed in. The insects are displayed in glass cases called “vivariums”. Each vivarium is decorated with live plants, flowers, and precious stones, to create a natural and pleasing environment for the insects. It costs approximately $40 to purchase a vivarium, and build its habitat. Your donation can help us purchase and maintain our vivariums.

Why Should You Help?
The concept of bringing together insects, seniors, and volunteers of all ages to promote learning and appreciation of our natural world has been tested over the past three years in the Science for Seniors event during the annual Sault Ste. Marie Science Festival. We have had a huge positive response from the community for this program and would love to see it expand from a 3-day, once a year event at just a few retirement homes, to a year-round program.