Female Luna Moth, by Jerry Dalrymple
Optional Saturday field trips will expose participants to the stunning beauty of the karst country landscapes and Appalachian foothills of the larger region, led by some of Ohio’s most knowledgeable naturalists and botanists. Indoor education workshops will expand your knowledge on a variety of topics. After you register, we will be emailing you a survey form that will ask you for your program preferences. Close to the event, we will confirm your assignments by email, along with any driving directions you’ll need for the weekend
Mothapalooza 2025
Field Trips, Activities, &
Educational Workshops
Saturday Educational Workshops
In addition to our guided hikes, we’re excited to offer a selection of educational workshops. These workshops will take place during the hikes, so participants will have the opportunity to choose between a traditional guided hike or a specialized workshop experience.
Workshop : Raising Caterpillars for Education
Location: Ridgeview Farm Gardens, locationed at Arc Director, Nancy Stranahan’s home garden
Leaders: Mary Lawrence & Ann Wegman
Discover the wonders of metamorphosis in this hands-on workshop about raising caterpillars for educational purposes. Whether you're an educator, nature enthusiast, or simply curious, this class will guide you through the basics of caring for caterpillars, providing proper food sources, and creating a safe environment for their transformation into butterflies or moths. Learn how to incorporate caterpillar rearing into classrooms, nature programs, or personal learning experiences to inspire curiosity and conservation awareness.
Workshop : High Magnification, Low Cost: Macro Photography on a Budget
Location: Beechcliff Lodge, Cave Road
Leader: Danae Wolfe, photographer
From insects and spiders to snowflakes and flowers, macro photography can reveal surprising details about the natural world. With just a few simple tools and some practice, high magnification macro photography can be a fun and accessible way to highlight the tiniest details of your garden. In this session, we’ll explore low-cost macro photography setups and techniques, including reverse lens, extension tubes, and mobile macro tips. Get ready to see the world through an entirely new lens!
Saturday Field Trips
Kamama Prairie - Botany & Butterflies - EASY
Distance from Forest Museum: 31 miles (43 minutes).
Length of Trail: 2.5 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: EASY - little elevation change and small creek crossings but the trail is often in the full sun so will be hot
“Ka-ma-ma, ” the Cherokee word for butterfly, is a gracefully succinct name for the rare alkaline shortgrass prairie community that is protected inside this preserve. Kamama has one of the richest Lepidoptera diversity in the state, including many rare butterfly and moth species. Kamama Prairie is the crown jewel of the Arc’s biodiverse preserves, sheltering 27 state-listed rare and endangered plant species and 67 species that were previously state-listed. Nearly one out of every four state-listed species in the entire 10,000-acre-plus Arc Preserve system lies in this singular relatively small preserve! This is an ideal trip for Mothapalooza participants who love to explore the rich diversity of prairie botanicals and their pollinators.
Kamelands Odonata Extravaganza - Dragonflies & Damselflies - MODERATE
Distance from Forest Museum: 1.8 miles (4 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.0 mile loop
Difficulty: MODERATE - A mostly level trail with an optional descent into the canyon floor. Expect short hikes to the habitats and possible shallow wading (if desired) in a stream.
Led by dragonfly and damselfly experts, we will be visiting two local habitats to look for representatives of Odonata at the water’s edge. Participants can expect to see up to a dozen common species of large dragonflies, many of which perch for observation with binoculars or for photography. There will also be a number of species of damselflies out, and a few rarer species will likely make a surprise appearance. Participants are encouraged to bring close-focusing binoculars or cameras with a bit of zoom (300mm). Be sure to wear shoes that can get wet.
Photo: Flag-tailed Spinyleg
Cliff Run Gorge - MODERATE
Distance from Forest Museum: 5 miles
Length of Trail: 2 miles
Difficulty: MODERATE - The route is rocky in places. There are a few short ascents and descents on a trail that has been improved with steps and bridges.
The Arc is now in the final stretch of bringing this new 300-acre hard-won preserve to the public’s awareness, requiring three phases of land acquisition. We are now putting the finishing touches on its gorgeous new trail! Embedded in Cliff Run is its tributary, Lewis Gorge, a shallow, flat-bottomed creek bordered by tall, vertical dolomite walls. Here we will enjoy the pleasure of natural air conditioning in the heat of the summer. Cliff Run and Lewis Gorege are among the most beautiful tributaries in Paint Valley - presenting a karst landscape of seeps, springs, and grottos with cliff walls that are awash with ferns and liverworts. Photo by Tim Pohlar
Barrett’s Rim - MODERATE
Distance from Forest Museum: approximately 2 miles (5 minutes)
Length of Trail: 2.5 mile loop trail
Difficulty: MODERATE - due to length. This is a well-maintained and improved trial. The trail includes one descent and ascent of roughly 40 feet.
Barrett’s Rim is a karst country landscape often called “jewel of the Rocky Fork Gorge” because of its beautiful dolomite rock formations and heady spring floral displays, followed lush botanical biodiversity in the summer. At Barrett’s Rim, the bedrock forms a palisade of bluffs that borders a long stretch of the Rocky Fork Gorge, broken only by a few ephemeral waterfalls seeking their confluence with the Rocky Fork. Across the creek valley, hikers can see Miller State Nature Preserve on the far side. Focus. Botany & Geological Formations.
Photo by Brian Prose
Tobacco Barn Hollow BIOBLITZ
Location: Tobacco Barn Preserve
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Are you interested in citizen science? Do you enjoy peeking under rocks and logs to see what creatures live below them? Do you get a thrill from identifying new species of plants and animals and sharing your observations on iNaturalist? Then we have a very special program just for you!! This fall, the Arc will be pursuing grant funding to purchase 5 new properties that, if awarded, will DOUBLE the size of our Tobacco Barn Hollow preserve! Tobacco Barn Hollow lies in a remote region of Pike County that has been previously understudied but has proven to protect critical habitat for several rare and endangered species. We invite Mothapalooza participants to participate in a bioblitz on these tracts to help us observe and identify every species of flora and fauna that we can find in order to help us prove why these potential purchases are worthy of protection. No experience needed! Having a camera or phone to photograph observations is strongly recommended.
Additional Activities
Sam Jaffe’s Caterpillar Lab
Location: Appalachian Forest Museum
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Public Open House - no registration needed
Sam Jaffe is the founder of Caterpillar Lab, a New Hampshire nonprofit that fosters appreciation and care for the complexity and beauty of the natural world by using the mind-bending, gorgeous creatures we know as caterpillars as a gateway experience. Sam is back in Ohio with his practiced talents of putting together a caterpillar lab “on the road.” Witness his collection of live caterpillars feeding on their native food sources over the weekend, and marvel at their colors and diversity of form. Caterpillars will be returned where they were found at week’s end to continue their metamorphosis.
Cozy Critters: Crochet & Knit Social
Location: Appalachian Forest Museum Deck
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
No registration needed.
Come unwind at the Appalachian Forest Museum during Cat Lab for a cozy and creative gathering where yarn and friendship intertwine! Bring your own knitting or crocheting project—or just come to chat, relax, and enjoy the company of others. Don’t have a project in the works? Consider bringing yarn, crochet needles, and a pattern to start an adorable, huggable caterpillar—we’re happy to suggest where to find a good one. Whether you're stitching or just sitting, all are welcome!