Meetings are held monthly (excluding December) on 3rd Saturdays. The time varies so be sure to check our calendar for details regarding each meeting. In-person meetings are currently held in San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties, and consist of either a collecting trip hike or a swap-meet event. Online meetings with guest speakers are held when during the hottest and coldest months via Skype.
At swap meets we discuss invertebrate husbandry, taxonomy & conservation, the latest club happenings, etc., often with a guest speaker. We also do free raffles & giveaways, sell and trade, show off our collections, and much more!
During hike meetings we focus on finding invertebrates in the wild, either to collect, photograph, or record for conservation work. We also pick up trash and learn more from each other about the amazing invertebrate diversity in Southern California.
At Skype meetings (and occasionally in-person ones) guest speakers join us to answer questions and talk about various invertebrate-related subjects. Past guests have included Steven Barney (beetle-experience), Dr. Philip S. Ward, Dr. Jason E. Bond, Tristan Shanahan (Invertebrate Dude), Rus Wilson (Aquarimax), Tom Moran, and Dr. Chris Hamilton.
Those traveling in California are more than welcome to RSVP to visit us at a meeting.
We regularly table at reptile shows, the Los Angeles Natural History Museum's Bug Fair, Arthropolooza at the San Bernardino County Museum, and other events. At these shows members sell specimens and supplies and share information about wild and captive invertebrates. We also participate in outreach events to share our love for invertebrates and teach about invert identification, life history, and conservation. Our outreach partners have included the El Dorado Nature Center, SoCal Trash Army, Redlands Camera Club, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
