It's 1:15 on a Thursday afternoon, and Kiffnie Holt is showing a wandering leaf to a group of children. She responds to statements like "Is it poisonous?" and "It looks like a flower!"

Holt takes out a prickly stick and lets the children touch the object gently with one finger.

"If you look close, he kind of looks like Homer Simpson," she says.

Holt is the coordinator for the K-State Insect Zoo, and she said she loves her job.

"I teach little kids not to be afraid of bugs," Holt said.

Holt has been involved with the zoo since it opened in 1999. She worked for the zoo's creator, entomology professor Ralph Charlton, and has been the coordinator since July 2005.

Holt said the zoo strived to provide the public with a better understanding of the insect world.

"They're not just creepy things you step on when you see them," Holt said. "People would be better off if they could appreciate what insects do for the environment."

The insect zoo has appeared in the destination section of USA Today, Newsweek and other travel books in addition to TV spots on CNN, ABC and CBS. Holt said the zoo has grown in popularity since its opening.

"Not many university-based insect zoos have the facilities that we do," Holt said. "Without this place, a lot of people wouldn't get a chance to see these creatures up close and touch them in a controlled environment."

Holt said visitors to the zoo could overcome their fears by touching creatures such as tarantulas. The zoo also answers questions about bugs people find in their homes.

With more than 100 species, the zoo attracts visitors from across Kansas and out of state. Holt said guided tour spots fill quickly with school groups, especially during May.

"We do actually have to turn people away," Holt said.

Holt said the zoo staff hopes to expand its facilities in order to accommodate larger groups. There is an unfinished area above the zoo that Holt said they would like to renovate and use.

Bob Bauernfeind, director of the Insect Zoo, said they would like to make the area into a learning center, complete with computers and microscopes. Extra space would also allow the zoo to expand its library.

Bauernfeind said he would like to have a meeting room with a screen for guest speakers and presentations. Holt said they could use the space to hold student events, such as bug movie nights.

"We want to offer people more opportunities and more variety of activities," Bauernfeind said. "With an expanded area, we could bring more people in."

Bauernfeind said he was searching for funding for the project. He is in the process of forming a "Friends of the Insect Zoo" program and a board of directors for the zoo.

"We'll try to bring in different businesses as a way of allowing us to expand into the community and to get community support," Bauernfeind said. "It's a realistic goal, but it's going to take a major renovation and major dollars," Bauernfeind said.

Bauernfeind said he thought the zoo was an important educational tool for the community.

"We want to make the zoo appealing to people," Bauernfeind said. "Too often the first response is 'the only good bug is a dead bug,' but there are so many positive things to say about insects."

Alma resident Cindy Schultz recently visited the insect zoo with her granddaughter Lilli Topper and niece Cortney Miller. She said she was impressed that the zoo's exhibits could keep both girls, who were five years apart in age, interested.

"I really like the fact that it brings future K-Staters on campus," Schultz said. "An educational exhibit like this gets them to build a relationship with the university at a young age."

Topper said she had been excited to visit the zoo.

"I like bugs. I'm not afraid, except for spiders," she said.

The insect zoo is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $2 for walk-ins and $3 for guided tours, which must be scheduled in advance.