There are thousands of caterpillar species in New England and Sam Jaffe ’07 wants people to appreciate them all. In 2013, he started The Caterpillar Lab, a nonprofit that’s now in Marlborough, New Hampshire. Through live exhibits, digital microscopes, photographs, and videos, visitors can witness the quirky ways of caterpillars, including details of metamorphosis, defense, parasitism, and coevolution. After getting his degree in evolutionary biology, Jaffe began photographing the “charismatic” insects and exhibiting in galleries. One summer, he brought live caterpillars to an opening and the idea for the lab was born. Jaffe now works to “bring the full diversity of native caterpillar stories” to markets, museums, botanic gardens, and schools. See more at thecaterpillarlab.org.
