Nowon-gu Bulamsan Butterfly Garden Hosts 'World's Longest-Lived Beetle Special Exhibition'

[Seoul District News] Nowon-gu to Exhibit Stag Beetle Specimens from Over 20 Countries and Offer Various Educational and Experiential Programs from June 26 to August 28 ... Yangcheon-gu Launches Children's Water Play Program ... Guro-gu Hosts National Student Robot Competition

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is hosting the "World Stag Beetle Special Exhibition" at Bulamsan Butterfly Garden.

This special exhibition is prepared for students and parents who want fun and special educational and experiential programs during the summer vacation.

First, you can see stag beetles from over 20 countries around the world for five weeks from the 26th of this month to the 28th of next month in the lobby on the first floor of the Butterfly Garden. A total of 168 specimens of 65 species of stag beetles representing countries such as Indonesia, Peru, and Madagascar will be exhibited. Domestic stag beetles are also displayed as specimens, providing a variety of attractions.

The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the same as the Butterfly Garden's operating hours, and anyone can visit for free.

There is also an experiential program. "Making insect badges" is held in the program room on the second floor of the Butterfly Garden, operating for two hours each at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

A practical educational program called "Insect Academy" with a professional instructor is also offered. It provides elementary school students with more specialized knowledge about insects through hands-on practice.

The "Making Stag Beetle Specimens" program for lower-grade elementary students involves learning the theory about stag beetles and hands-on specimen making, allowing children to touch larvae directly.

The "Making Stag Beetle Music Box" program for all elementary grades lets participants decorate a clay stag beetle and create their own music box that plays music when the spring is wound.

Located within Bulamsan Healing Town, the Butterfly Garden opened in September 2018 and has been visited by about 200,000 people so far. Maintaining a constant temperature of 25℃ year-round, visitors can observe and experience the ecology of living butterflies in all four seasons, with various programs continuously offered. Last winter vacation, the "World Butterfly Special Exhibition" was held, displaying 242 butterflies of 123 species from around the world, attracting over 15,200 visitors.

The outdoor area of Bulamsan Butterfly Garden is also an insect learning site. Large insect sculptures such as ladybugs, mantises, and stag beetles, which children love, are installed throughout the area for touching, climbing, and riding. Bulamsan Healing Town offers many spaces for children that all generations can enjoy.

Including the "Bulamsan Healing Garden," where you can run on the wide lawn and drink beverages, visitors can simultaneously experience rest, play, and education at the "Ground Fountain," "Toddler Forest Experience Center," "Bulamsan Ecology Learning Center," "Bulamsan Observatory," and "Azalea Hill," creating memories with family.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "With summer vacation approaching, this will be a great opportunity for children to see and touch insects close to home," adding, "We will continue to prepare various programs to make this a natural learning space where children can learn while playing."

Yangcheon-gu (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will operate a children's water play program using water facilities for local children for one month from July 22 to August 22.

Since May, the district has fully reactivated water facilities such as ground fountains and water playgrounds, providing cool scenery and fun activities.

This children's water play program was planned to promote children's emotional and physical development by combining creative play activities with the popular water playgrounds during the peak summer vacation months of July and August, helping families enjoy a cool summer together.

The program runs from July 22 to August 22 and can be experienced at four locations: Gyeongin Children's Park, which recently completed renovations and returned to residents, as well as Haneulmaru Children's Park, Bangok Children's Park, and Hanul Neighborhood Park.

Each location offers play programs such as ▲water sliding ▲tube relay ▲bucket challenge ▲water gun battles ▲treasure hunts, along with special events like balloon art and face painting.

The operating hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with flexible operation depending on on-site conditions. Anyone can use the facilities for free without a reservation.

For more details about the children's water play program, contact the Parks and Greenery Division.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gi-jae said, "I hope our children, who have had difficulty playing freely due to COVID-19 for a long time, enjoy the water play program and have a refreshing summer vacation. We will strive to operate the water playground safely through regular water quality inspections and water replacement."

The 17th National Student Robot Competition will be held at Yuhan Technical High School in Guro-gu on September 24.

Guro-gu (District Mayor Moon Heon-il) announced on the 22nd, "We are holding the National Student Robot Competition to increase youth interest and enthusiasm for robots and to nurture talents who will lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution era," adding, "This event resumes after three years since the 16th competition in 2019 due to COVID-19."

The "National Student Robot Competition" is Korea's first nationwide robot competition, started with the expectation that students, the future leaders of society, can awaken their potential and build confidence through the process of solving problems with a spirit of continuous challenge.

This competition is hosted and organized by the Korea School Robot Education Promotion Association, with support from Guro-gu, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Participants are elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide who have passed school preliminaries or have been recommended by their school principals, with up to two teams per category allowed to participate.

The competition categories include three divisions and five detailed fields: ▲Creative (robot creation) ▲Robot Coding (robot algorithms and software coding) ▲Remote Control (waste sorting and maze racing).

Those wishing to participate can apply on the official competition website by 6 p.m. on August 11.

The final participants will be announced on the website on August 25.

Outstanding participants will receive awards such as the Minister of Education Award and the Minister of Science and ICT Award, with grand prizes, gold, silver, bronze, and encouragement awards across five categories.

Moon Heon-il, Guro-gu Mayor and co-chairman of the Korea School Robot Education Promotion Association, said, "Science and technology, including robotics, are at the center of creative convergence education and are key to transforming future society," adding, "I hope Korea's future robot talents develop creativity and problem-solving skills through robot creation and programming."