In its ongoing mission to cultivate curiosity, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens will host educator and nature photographer Samuel Jaffe and The Caterpillar Lab, August 3-7. Jaffe, who has been raising caterpillars since he was three years old, has spent years photographing caterpillars, exhibiting his photographs, and educating the public about the importance of, in his words, “the little monsters living unseen around us that seem effortlessly to reveal to people the value of the natural spaces around them.”

That passion eventually morphed into the nonprofit learning facility, The Caterpillar Lab—a functioning caterpillar rearing, researching, photographing, filming and educating facility. The Lab, housed in Marlborough, New Hampshire, aims to “foster 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.” Jaffe’s philosophy is that “an increased awareness of the local environment is the foundation on which healthy and responsible attitudes towards the broader natural systems of this world are built.”

Jaffe’s infectious passion for the natural world will find itself in good company at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. “The Caterpillar Lab is all about finding wonder in the unexpected,” Jaffe says. “Caterpillars are unendingly surprising and never boring, no matter what your experience in natural history may be.” That accessibility is what makes the Lab residency at the Gardens an exciting and thoroughly unique family-friendly event, encouraging independent thought and empowering discovery. “We encourage kids to make discoveries on their own,” Jaffe says. “We provide the resources, but anyone can take a walk in the woods, turn over a leaf, and make a discovery—you don’t need experts.”

The residency, free with Gardens admission, invites guests to visit the lab-in-residence, see live caterpillar displays, take part in innovative programing and witness how The Caterpillar Lab cares for and works with its dozens of species of caterpillars. “There are over 5,000 species of native caterpillars, and each has ridiculously wonderful adaptations that make them into individuals. People get to know them—they become characters and thoroughly relatable.”

The residency allows visitors not only to witness moments of metamorphosis playing out first-hand, both at the display tables and under digital microscopes, but to learn about caterpillar rearing tools, gather host plants with Lab staff, and become involved in the day-to-day running of the Lab.

The Caterpillar Lab’s in-residence exhibit can be anything from a casual drop-in exploration lasting a few minutes to a more in-depth experience spanning several hours. Visitors can photograph the caterpillars, discuss gardening for insects with staff, observe countless species, open up cocoons or choose one of the many planned activities taking place during the week, such as moth lighting, caterpillar walks, and natural history talks. For more information regarding all of the week’s activities, visit www.MaineGardens.org.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a nationally recognized public garden located in Boothbay, Maine. The mission of the Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants and nature through horticulture, education and research. Its annual visitation includes guests from all fifty states and 65 foreign countries.