IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Caterpillar Lab is a New England based, nonprofit organization that is passionate about showcasing the amazing diversity of Northeastern caterpillars through educational programs, art, and science. Our mission is to foster a 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. We 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 is built.

Caterpillars are especially well suited to use in natural history education. They are diverse and fantastical creatures that are little known and stay hidden from everyday view. Their relative obscurity makes caterpillars great teaching tools – learners are surprised by these new and colorful organisms and are drawn into learning opportunities by an innate curiosity that we all share. Learners are further intrigued that these animals can be uncovered in their own backyards. In cities and suburbs, in the northeast and southwest, caterpillars are found in astounding diversity. Additionally, caterpillars are relevant to a tremendous number of educational topics. We can use them to show metamorphosis, parasitism and predation, natural selection and evolution, and the importance of protecting green spaces and local ecosystems. As learners experience caterpillars’ life cycles firsthand, they often develop a new sense of ecological scale and time. When we know our local caterpillars, we know our local place at an exceptional level of detail Plus... we just love the little buggers!

Yes, you can! The Caterpillar Lab, located at 172 Main St. Marlborough, NH 03455, holds public open hours throughout the year! The days and times may change throughout the season due to our programming schedule, so be sure to check out our calendar of events to confirm an open hours is taking place.

We run programs and build exhibits all over New England. Watch our events calendar and our Facebook page for a program in your area. We have been especially active in Boston, Concord, and Worcester, Massachusetts; Keene, New Hampshire; and Brattleboro, Norwich, and Montpelier Vermont. If you do not see a program in your area, contact us to suggest a new venue!

We work almost exclusively with native New England caterpillars. We breed many of them from year to year. Others are collected locally in the field. However, most of our caterpillars are reared from eggs collected from wild female moths. We do not maintain a collection of dead insects. We release as many of our critters as we can back into the wild, as long as they originated from local populations. Send us an email if you would like to know more about caterpillar collection and rearing techniques!

Hey, thanks for asking! There are many ways you can help. As a nonprofit organization, The Caterpillar Lab relies heavily on supporters’ gifts and donations. Please visit our donations page if you would like to contribute. We are always looking for additional volunteer educators to help at our programs. Think you’d like to lend a hand? We’d love to hear from you! Finally, just spread the word—about us and about native insects. Our number one goal is to open people’s eyes to these wonderful creatures living all around us. Have an idea of how you can help us reach the masses? Let us know.

Visit our facebook page to see recent videos, images, and stories about native New England caterpillars. If you want to know more about our creatures send us an email or drop us a line on Facebook. For more general caterpillar information, every serious caterpillar hunter needs a copy of "Caterpillars of Eastern North America" by David Wagner. It is a one-of-a-kind field guide and natural history resource that will help you become a caterpillar expert in no time! Also check out online resources, including Bug Guide and Moth Photographers Group.