Fayetteville will have its chance to get a bug's eye view of the world when it encounters a 1,200-pound preying mantis, three 25-foot ants, and six other enormous natural sculptures at the "Big Bugs" exhibit at Cape Fear Botanical Garden in the fall of 2011.

This extraordinary natural sculpture exhibit has been seen around the nation in places such as Denver Botanical Garden, Disney's Epcot, New York Botanical Garden and the U.S. National Arboretum. From Sept. 24 through Dec. 31, Cape Fear Botanical Garden will be hosting it in Fayetteville.

"I am so excited that we are going to have the 'Big Bugs' exhibit at the garden," said Cape Fear Botanical Garden board member Lynne Nimocks. "It will be the perfect way to launch the opening of the new Visitors Pavilion Complex, and is just one example of the opportunities this new building is going to bring to Fayetteville and the region."

The gigantic sculptures, created by artist David Rogers, of Glenwood Landing, N.Y., are made using various combinations of whole trees found standing or fallen dead, dry branches and other forest materials. The different shapes, colors and textures of these materials provide the bugs with character, definition and a sense of motion. The weight of the sculptures varies from 30 to 1,200 pounds, and some of the bugs stand nearly 10 feet high and stretch 25 feet long. They will be displayed throughout the garden during their time in Fayetteville. Visitorship at other venues displaying the exhibit increased 25 to 50 percent during the time the bugs were on display.

Rogers began sculpting at age 13, initially welding abstract sculptures from discarded metal scraps. In the mid-1970s, his attention turned to common insects and new materials such as forest products. After a 10-year period of working in other media, in 1990 he returned to outdoor sculptures. The complete "Big Bugs" exhibit debuted at the Dallas Arboretum in 1994.

"It is fantastic that Fayetteville is going to host this nationally recognized exhibit," said John Meroski, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It will really put Fayetteville on the map, and is going to introduce visitors from all over to our beautiful botanical garden and great city."

Cape Fear Botanical Garden is located on 77 acres nestled between the Cape Fear River and Cross Creek, just two miles from downtown Fayetteville. Founded in 1989, the garden now boasts more than 2,000 varieties of ornamental plants and has several specialty gardens, including camellia, daylily and hosta gardens.

For more information, visit www.capefearbg.org. For more information on Big Bugs, visit www.big-bugs.com.