Not all of you can have a mother-in-law who is a biologist who adores bugs, spiders and snakes. The good news is that through Marisa, I have learned much about Braziian flora and fauna, and traveled extensively in the Amazon, Pantanal and the Mata Atlantica. But of course, there is a downside–I have oft been greeted with glass jars of scorpions and fuzzy spiders, and I have learned to never ever try to squash a bug when she is nearby (exception: mosquitos). Every little beast has a story; every little beast wants to live.

As covered earlier in the Owl, the Caterpillar Lab is one of our wonderful local-ish resources for education about the amazing lives of mini-beasts. If you have not yet met Sam Jaffe in person, you’ll want to pencil it into your calendar for next year. If anyone loves his job more, let me know. I highly doubt it.

You can get lost for hours watching caterpillar videos on the Lab’s youtube channel. Fuzzy caterpillars, caterpillars wagging their tails, it’s good watching. The flannel caterpillars with the Entertainer background music is my favorite. Having a bad day? Watch a caterpillar.

The Caterpillar Lab’s store has recently expanded to include a number of challenging and fun puzzles, shirts, greeting cards, stickers, playing cards. All of them are beautiful explorations of caterpillars. Take a look and see what kind of wonder you can bring into your family’s holiday season.

Shop local-ish (New Hampshire) and shop fuzzy. Yes, if you order now, it will indeed arrive in time for Christmas.

The Caterpillar Lab is a 501c3 dedicated to fostering greater appreciation and care for the complexity and beauty of our local natural history through live caterpillar educational programs, research initiatives, and photography and film projects. 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 is built.