If you need a break from all the testosterone-driven events that usually fill this page and you're not squeamish, then you might be interested in what Downers Park (16745 W. Glasgow Dr., Loxahatchee) has to offer. Entomologist Mark Sivik leads "Insect Adventures," a two-hour field trip into the agricultural groves and farms of western Palm Beach County to dig up some bugs. Sivik can identify your finds and maybe even teach you something about a bug's life. Did you know that dragonflies spend the first four years of their lives as nymphs underwater and emerge from the water, shedding their skin to become adult winged dragonflies for their last few months of life, when they mate, lay eggs, and die? Bummer! Learn all the intimate details about insects and view dragonflies, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, butterflies, and moths. You might even see the intense and violent mating ritual of the praying mantis. Muhahahaha. Tours leave at 9 a.m. and 1 and 3:30 p.m. Cost is $5, which includes transportation, equipment, and refreshments. Call 561-793-4776. -- Audra Schroeder
SAT 8/2
Duffer Alert
Anyone want to hit the links? The Keller Williams Amateur Golf Tour comes to the Emerald Dunes Country Club (2100 Emerald Dunes Dr., West Palm Beach) Saturday.
The Emerald Dunes tourney is the fifth leg of a ten-tournament season. Tour members accumulate points each week based on place of finish, with the leaders at the end of the season moving on to the Tour Championship in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this fall.
In its first year of existence, the AGT already boasts 24 members, and that number will keep growing at every stop. Golfers compete in one of four skill-specific flights ranging from Championship 0-5 handicappers through C-Level 16-20 handicappers. The top three finishers per flight each week receive merchandise and gift certificates. Closest-to-the-pin and long-drive contests are also included within the day's activities to further reward the best golfers.
Think you've got what it takes? Saturday's tournament costs $75 and also requires registration through the tour website at kellerwilliamstour.com. Call 954-629-7986. -- Russ Evans
FRI 8/1
Size Counts
Meet people whose muscles have muscles
Jacked men and women with bronze skin and toned muscles are coming to town, and they're ready to strut their buff stuff. Who are they? They're the participants in the 2003 NPC Southern States Fitness and Body Building Championships, being held August 1 and 2 at War Memorial Auditorium (800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale).
The NPC Southern States has called South Florida home since its inception in 1979. The two-day competition is the biggest on the East Coast, with upward of 150 athletes from teens to senior citizens expected to participate over the weekend.
The fitness and figure competitions are held Friday beginning at 7 p.m. The fitness competition has male and female divisions, with participants performing a dance routine choreographed to music. The figure event is open only to women and entails a swimsuit competition aimed to accentuate the physical fitness of each participant.
For those interested in muscular bulk, the bodybuilding competition starts with pre-judging at 9 a.m. Saturday, with a final session that evening at 6 p.m. Individual winners from each age and weight category as well as an overall men's and women's champion from among all categories will be recognized.
One trend in recent years has been the increasing interest from older competitors, necessitating additional age categories. NPC spokesperson Elaine Fitzgerald sums up the phenomenon, which includes a 72-year-old Cape Coral woman entered in the over-50 bodybuilding masters division: "More people are working out longer in life, and just because they are getting older, they don't want to stop competing." Talk about active seniors!
Tickets range from $10 to $30. Call 954-828-5380. -- Russ Evans
SAT 8/2
Visit Davy Jones' Locker
Are you a scuba-diving freak? The Active Diver's Association holds its latest outing at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Biscayne National Park (9700 SW 328th St., Homestead). The ADA dives every weekend in places like Hollywood, Tavernier, Cozumel, and Australia, and it always welcomes new members. Membership is $25 per year. All divers must be ADA members and sign a waiver before their first dive. Call 305-235-2430. -- Russ Evans
SUN 8/3
Hot Rods, Kool Tunes
If you've got a tricked-out '34 Ford Coupe gathering dust in your garage, a trip to Moroso Motorsports Park (17047 Beeline Hwy., Palm Beach Gardens) this Sunday would definitely be in order. West Palm Beach's oldies station, Kool 105.5, and KFC sponsor "Hot Rod Sunday," which takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drag races throughout the day allow owners to prove which car has the real muscle, while other awards are given out to the rides that just plain look the spiffiest. Polish up those wheels, and start your engines. Tickets cost $15 to $50. Call 561-622-1400. -- Dan Sweeney
