The 59th annual dinner meeting of the Newton Conservators that was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, has been postponed to Wednesday, October 21, 2020.
At 6 pm will be a social hour followed by dinner at 7 pm where we will have our annual short election/business meeting and award ceremony honoring activists for Webster Woods and Cold Spring Park as well as a number of recently retired city personnel who have been important to our open space efforts.
At 8 pm, Sam Jaffe, Director of The Caterpillar Lab, will present a talk called “Caterpillars: The Whole Story.” He will explore backyard pollinators, plants, parasitoids, and the many caterpillars that are positioned at the center of it all. He will also discuss his work growing the Caterpillar Lab from its roots in Newton’s Cold Spring Park to its present-day region-wide activity and influence. To tell the story, Sam will bring a variety of caterpillars
found during this season, microscopes, and other insect-related excitement! His perspective on natural history study and appreciation just might make you reconsider an herbivore’s place in our world and our town.
Sam is a New England based naturalist, photographer, and educator who has been working with native insects since a very early age. He grew up in Newton chasing birds, mucking through ponds, and turning over leaves. For the last 12 years he has been photographing and filming caterpillars to promote these special creatures to the public. In 2013, he founded The Caterpillar Lab (thecaterpillarlab.org), a non-profit educational outreach organization in Marlborough, NH, and he now travels across the country working with museums, nature centers, schools, and individual teachers, helping native insects find their place in our everyday lives. When he is not behind the camera or tending his zoo of caterpillars, you can invariably find Sam up to his waist in vegetation. Conservators members will receive an invitation and registration form in the mail. Anyone can register for the dinner online. Stay tuned for more details!
Conservators members will receive an invitation and registration form in the mail as the date gets closer. Anyone will be able register for the dinner online.
