Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute

P.O. Box 5624
Tucson, AZ 85703-0624
(520) 883-3945 voice
(520) 883-2578 fax

www.sasionline.org

SASI provides outreach programs to K-5 classrooms in southern Arizona. Since 1993, SASI annually hosts and organizes the Invertebrates in Captivity Conference, a gathering of zoo, aquarium, museum, and education professionals sharing their programs and accomplishments in invertebrate husbandry, conservation, exhibition, and interpretation. SASI also offers a variety of educational workshops and seminars for its membership and the general public, both on-site and around southern Arizona. Publications include Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona and Desert Butterfly Gardening and the Proceedings of the Invertebrates in Captivity Conference. SASI also provides photos and information on hundreds of Sonoran arthropod species on its web site.

Location:

Tucson Mountain Park,
near Old Tucson Studios

Parking:

15 spaces

Hours of operation:

Office: 8:00-4:30, Tuesday - Saturday;
Facility tours: 9:00-3:30, Tuesday - Saturday

Admission fees:

Free to SASI membership; Donations

Membership:

Yes

Handicapped access:

No

Lunch facilities:

Picnic Areas in Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West Unit nearby

Gift shop:

Mail order; Online: books, SASI publications, T-shirts.

Curriculum relevance:

Biology, Entomology, Botany, Zoology, Animal Behavior

Contact person:

Steve Prchal, Director

(520) 883-3945

Arranging a Visit:

Members and other interested individuals can visit SASI during the hours of 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Tuesday - Saturday. An appointment must be made in advance.

SASI is open to a drop-in audience during its Community Day, the fourth Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tour description:

Staff-led tours of the facility include the arthropod rearing room and collections lab. The library and grounds are available during these hours.

Other resources:

Library, Insect Attractant Gardens, protected field study site of 320 acres. Facilities are available for rent for groups of 25 or fewer. In-service arthropod ecology workshops conducted for educators. Field trips are also offered.

Outreach programs

SASI's outreach programs are correlated with the Arizona Academic Standards in Science. Live arthropods and models are used to introduce the common classes of arthropods, life cycles, structure and adaptations to various habitats. Programs average one hour in length and are intended to complement and reinforce the teacher's unit on arthropods. 

SASI is offering four different programs during the 2003-04 school year.  Programs can be individualized for a particular audience or area of study. All programs cost $75.00 each. Additional same-subject classes are available for an extra $35.00 each.

page last updated July 1, 2003