Boston Flora

Tag: Caterpillar Lab

  • Wednesday, May 20, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Explore the Nighttime World of Caterpillars and Moths, Live and Online

    Grow Native Massachusetts concludes its 2026 free public lecture series on Wednesday, May 20 at 7 pm in person at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, 11 French Drive in Boylston, and also online. The Caterpillar Lab will present a photograph and video packed talk that explores the nighttime world of caterpillars, moths, and how to find them. Join us to learn how we can explore our own backyard habitats through the eyes of a moth, using UV and special light traps to uncover a whole new perspective. This special lecture will include time to meet a few special caterpillar specimens up close and, and chat with Caterpillar Lab educators about all things local caterpillar. In-person attendees will also get to try out blacklight flashlights!

    The Caterpillar Lab is a non-profit based in New Hampshire that fosters greater appreciation and care for the complexity and beauty of natural history through live caterpillar educational programs, research initiatives, and photography and film projects. They believe that an increased awareness of one’s local environment is the foundation on which healthy and responsible attitudes towards the broader natural systems of this world are built.

    Register at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/evenings-experts

  • Monday, September 8, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Eastern- A Secret Neighborhood – Backyard Caterpillars in Your Autumn Landscape, Online

    Join Grow Native Massachusetts online on September 8 at 6 pm Eastern for a presentation revealing the caterpillars whose ecosystems we inhabit and our role as neighbors, stewards, and champions of these incredible insects. We live surrounded by a world shaped by insects and few are more charismatic than the caterpillar (or their moth and butterfly forms). They influence the flowers we enjoy, foods we eat, and birds we celebrate, filling every ecological niche imaginable! This interactive presentation features a few local, wild fall caterpillars who will help us tell the story of these animals in our forests and gardens. Educators from The Caterpillar Lab will share how we can manage our spaces through the fall and winter to promote more insect diversity and offer some tips and tricks for measuring our success in the spring. Attend this fall talk to learn how to promote more caterpillars, and then extend your experience by joining us next spring for a special Grow Native Massachusetts event to discover how to see the adult moths in their nighttime habitats! This is a free event, but registration required at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/calendar. Photo below by Sam Jaffe.

  • Tuesday, October 9, 7:30 pm – The Whole Story: A Celebration of Caterpillars in All Their Incarnations

    Tuesday, October 9, 7:30 pm – The Whole Story: A Celebration of Caterpillars in All Their Incarnations

    Samuel Jaffe from the Caterpillar Lab will present a photograph and video packed talk on Tuesday, October 9 at 7:30 that explores backyard pollinators, plants, and the many caterpillars that are positioned at the center of it all. He will introduce a “Whole Story” perspective of natural history study and appreciation that just might make you reconsider a herbivore’s place in our gardens. The “Whole Story” is a celebration of caterpillars in all their incarnations. Sam founded “The Caterpillar Lab” in 2013, a non-profit educational outreach organization. He travels the country working with museums, nature centers, schools, and individual teachers helping native insects find their place in our everyday lives.

    The talk is free and open to the public. It will be held in Room 101 of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge. The meeting is readily accessible via public transportation. Parking is available in the Oxford Street Garage with advance arrangement, or (usually but not always) at spaces on nearby streets. Everyone is also welcome to join The Cambridge Entomological Club for dinner before the talk (beginning at 5:45 PM) at the Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave., Cambridge. For more information visit http://entclub.org.

    Image result for caterpillar lab

  • Sunday, August 23, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – Live Caterpillar Show

    The public is invited to see caterpillars. Visitors of all ages are invited to explore the fascinating world of caterpillars up close on Sunday, August 23, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. This is the third year that the Boylston nonprofit has hosted Sam Jaffe – a naturalist, biologist, photographer, and educator – to share his Live Caterpillar Show at Tower Hill. Jaffe and his team of experts will bring with them caterpillars ranging in size – some small enough to fit on a fingertip and others larger than an adult’s finger – and color, from muted to brilliant. The one-day show, open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free with admission and visitors will learn about these insects often seen in passing, but rarely appreciated. Jaffe, who operates the Caterpillar Lab in Keene, N.H., has an infectious enthusiasm for sharing his expertise and offers a rare chance to learn about the lives of these stunning creatures. Participants will learn more about New England’s plants and bugs, along with receiving a better understanding of the importance of biodiversity. But perhaps most important, is how much fun people of all generations can have together seeing these, sometimes bizarre, insects up close. In addition to the caterpillar show, visitors can explore Tower Hill’s formal gardens in peak summer bloom, take a short hike on the trails in the surrounding woodlands, stop by the café and gift shop, and more. For more information please call 508-869-6111, visit towerhillbg.org, or explore samueljaffe.com.