Backyard Monsters

The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) opened its first exhibit "Backyard Monsters" at the opening of the recently added atrium. As members, Bob & I (with Michael tagging along) were invited to the opening gala last Friday, February 6th.

Besides refreshments, goodies included wormy chocolate chip cookies and tempura-style crickets and scorpions. The line up for the latter was long so the three of us settled for the cricket tempura dipped in tempura sauce. We really wanted the scorpion as the chef convinced us that it was "meatier". Yum. The ant chocolate fudge lacked the crunch of the cricket but still , it was sweet.

These backyard monsters are robotic and truly gargantuan in proportions compared to the real creatures in our backyard. Fun for the kids and adults alike. Click on the link above for more details. If you live in Ontario, do visit these animatronics that came all the way from California.

Here's a tomato caterpillar picking on Bob or maybe it wants a sip of Bob's drink. Click on any of the picture to see the details.











That's Michael looking dwarfed by that huge caterpillar!


















This tarantula is a popular stop for the kids. The real ones in (locked) terrarium are just as furry.













Looking down from the main level to the atrium, one can see the back of this wasp.












There are 2 Atlas beetles fighting in this exhibit. They are the only bugs with eyelashes amongst the display.











These are just a few specimens on display. There are lots more "monsters" and real bugs on display but I don't want to spoil it for those who want to see the exhibit themselves. And if you're passing by Brantford, do stop by and visit us.