Insects are dying off worldwide and in the Milwaukee area, and scientists said this isn't a good thing.
UWM Lecturer Kathryn Martin-Meurer said Milwaukee suburbs have seen a decrease in the insect population by 90 percent in the last 20 to 30 years.
"The majority of people spray them or clap their hands or stomp on them," Martin-Meurer said.
When Martin-Meurer learned those actions have caused 45 percent of insects around the world to die over the last 30 years, she teamed up with the Department of Natural Resources for an art project.
"That's the beauty of a project like this is that you're able to get a little known fact out to the public," said Melissa Cook, the Hank Aaron State trail manager with the DNR.
Beginner art students at UWM designed and built insect motels and they're all getting permanent homes in Wisconsin Parks and Nature Centers.
"The real point of this is not so much that we're creating habitat with this little box, but that we're able to use the artwork as a vehicle to tell the story about the insect decline," Cook said.
The Senior Ecologist at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Don Quintenz is excited to have an insect motel to greet guests.
"People can see this and ask questions and start to learn the importance of insects in the food chains," Quintenz said.
Quintenz said insects are crucial to the natural ecosystem.
"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the insects do not bother people and they're just vital in this complicated life," Quintenz said.
The insect motels give bugs a place of protection.
"I want my students to know that their art can make a difference and be meaningful," Martin-Meurer said.
When you find an insect motel scan the barcode at the bottom to listen to students talk about their piece. You can learn more on the UWM website.
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