From: Cool Earth
An insect enthusiast who has a collection boasting almost 6,000 bugs has told of using his collection to educate local children about the huge amount of different types of species the world offers.
Speaking to the Leader Telegram newspaper, John Hempel, 66, said that "one of his greatest joys" is being able to share his bug collection with youngsters.Mr Hempel visits local schools in his native Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to give a 40-minute talk on his collection, which includes a "flying walking stick" from Indonesia and a buck moth cocoon.
"It's a neat way to keep mementos of places you've been. Every specimen I have has a tag on it with two important pieces of information ... when and where," he said.
While his collection is already extensive, the collector told the source that his dream find would be the titanus giganteus beetle which lives in the Amazon rainforest and can grow as long as 6.5 inches.
How to protect the fragile eco-system of the Amazon rainforest is set to be on the agenda at the upcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.