A TOAST TO THE ROACH

Next time a cockroach scurries across your path, think twice before you send it to the great roach motel in the sky. Turns out roaches aren’t the nasty buggers we think they are, as the Natural History Museum demonstrates at its first Roach Appreciation Day -- part of the museum’s monthly Critter Club. Leslie Gordon, associate manager of living collections, will introduce intrepid 3- to 5-year-olds to three species: Madagascar hissing roaches, giant tropicals and Madeiras. “They’re the clean-up crew of the world,” says Gordon. “They clean up the forest floors. There are more than 3,000 species, and only a few are considered pests.” 10 a.m. Sat., 900 Exposition Blvd. Free with paid museum admission. (213) 763-3348; www.nhm.org