Photos by Evie Carpenter
If you walk into the Desert Botanical Garden between now and January, you might see something that looks like it could be straight out of a science-fiction movie – a 1,200-pound praying mantis.
The Desert Botanical Garden is home to 11 new critters this fall. Unlike the millions of bugs that currently live throughout the garden, these insects are sculptures ranging from seven to 25 feet long, constructed from twigs, wood and other natural materials.
The collection, designed by sculptor David Rogers and titled “Big Bugs,” has been featured in botanical gardens across the United States since the exhibit made its debut in 1994. According to Rogers, however, the Desert Botanical Garden differs from any other place the exhibit has been shown.
“It is such a unique setting,” Rogers said. “It is the only botanical garden that allows my exhibit to be shown amongst cactus.”
Parts of Rogers’ exhibit were shown at the Desert Botanical Garden ten years ago. This time, there are new sculptures and new placements.
Rogers spent five days in August reassembling the sculptures, said Grace Soave, exhibit manager for the Desert Botanical Garden.
“He strategically placed each bug and varnished them himself,” she said.
Rogers referred to the sculptures, as well as actual bugs, as the “hidden gardeners” of the planet. He said people often neglect the role bugs play in their daily lives.
“Bugs play a much more significant role in the garden and the ecosystem then we do as humans,” he said. “Humans destroy the earth by polluting the air and water. We are not always the best caretakers, and the bugs’ work is overlooked.”
Rogers said he continues to learn more about bugs through the people that view his exhibit, which he values since providing a learning experience for others was part of his inspiration for the creating the collection.
“In the beginning, I designed it to be visually stunning and also serve an educational purpose,” he said.
The Desert Botanical Garden has made it a point to maintain the educational integrity of the exhibit, Soave said.
“One of the things we are trying to teach is preservation,” Soave said. “All of these bugs were made from fallen branches that David Rogers found.”
There are also informational signs next to each sculpture that include facts about the life of each bug, which were designed and donated by ASU’s School of Life Sciences.
Out of the 11 bugs, there are three ants placed on one of the hills in the 145-acre garden. Because of the large size of the sculptures, they can be seen from many areas throughout the garden.
“You feel like you’re the ant when you look at them,” Soave said referring to the size of the wooden insects.
To further enhance the “Big Bugs” exhibit and continue educating visitors, the Desert Botanical Garden will launch an additional exhibit this fall called “Antopolis,” which will allow people to observe live ants at the garden, as well as on the garden’s website.
People of all ages and hometowns have made it a priority to visit the garden to view the temporary exhibit. There are also several events planned at the garden that coincide with the exhibit, including lectures, classes and frequent bug-themed movie nights, showing films like “Charlotte’s Web” and “A Bug’s Life.”
“People from all over the world come to visit the garden regardless, but a lot of families have extended their summer vacations in order to see the new exhibit,” Soave said.
One guest in particular, Laurie Lester, of New Orleans, made sure to incorporate a trip to the Desert Botanical Garden on her first visit to Arizona.
“It is all so beautiful, and the bugs were definitely unique,” she said. “They gave you something to look for on the trail. The whole culture in Arizona is very unique. It has a beauty of its own.”
Contact the reporter at jessica.boehm@asu.edu
