The Caterpillar Lab

Sam Jaffe is a New England-based naturalist, photographer, and educator who is an advocate of insects. In 2013 he founded The Caterpillar Lab a non-profit educational outreach organization in Marlborough NH. From this hub, he travels across the country working with universities, museums, botanic gardens, nature centers, and schools, sharing insect stories and nourishing public appreciation - taking the educational message on the road. He is also writing and illustrating a very in-depth book on the identification and natural history of native caterpillars. When he is not behind the camera or tending his zoo of caterpillars, Sam is outdoors, waist-deep in vegetation. 

Workshop Leaders

Yann Kemper is a Cincinnati-based naturalist with an emphasis on galls and galling organisms. He started using iNaturalist in 2018 and has contributed over 40,000 records and 200,000 identifications. He has been active in the realm of cecidology since 2021, with over 500 recorded gall species as of 2026. Yann was heavily involved in the early stages of gallformers.org, where he contributed many entries. He focuses primarily on Cecidomyiidae, having found several undescribed species and recorded range expansions for a number of others. Other than galls, he is interested in tropical fish, moths, and flora.

Yun Park is an Ann Arbor-based naturalist with interests in Sphingidae, Ukrainian Red Book arthropods, and flora of the American South. He has presented to numerous organizations, including the Michigan Botanical Society, on the topic of iNaturalist and citizen science. Yun is the president of the University of Michigan's Entomology Club and has experience surveying moths for the University of Michigan properties. 

Danae Wolfe is an award-winning conservation photographer, writer, educator, and TEDx speaker focused on fostering appreciation and stewardship of backyard bugs and wildlife. Ever the pragmatic, she believes that everyone has the power to make a difference in combating climate change and biodiversity loss. Through her community conservation initiative, Chasing Bugs, she has reached global audiences with science-based education about the importance of gardening for biodiversity and has inspired gardeners to appreciate the beauty of our natural world and embrace their role in its protection. Danae’s recent book, Grass Isn’t Greener, was published by Timber Press in May 2025.

Mary Lawrence has been raising native silk moths since 2009. Mary is a Licensed Massage Therapist and small business owner. She also teaches in her church’s children’s ministry, where her caterpillars and moths are frequent visitors to her classroom.

Hike Leaders & Moth Stations

Kim Banks is a Mothapalooza veteran, helping with the event since its inception. She loves all animals, but she has two special passions – moths and bunnies!!  Spending summers deep in the Ozarks with no radio or television meant the insects drawn to the porch light was major entertainment, thus sparking a lifelong interest in moths.  As for bunnies…Kim cares for abandoned pet rabbits through the nonprofit Ohio House Rabbit Rescue.

Diane Brooks is a self-taught naturalist and photographer. She has been looking at moths since 2003 but became completely obsessed with them after the first Mothapalooza, and hasn't missed this event since! Diane has documented many new-to-Ohio moth distribution records and has recorded a number of rare moth species. She generously shares her expertise and love of moths on Facebook moth forums and in person with all of our Mothapalooza guests. Watch for her by the sheets!

Kelly Capuzzi is a fisheries biologist and water quality specialist with 30 years of experience in sampling lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands throughout the state of Ohio. Kelly has a BS in Zoology from The Ohio State University and is also an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN) for the Hocking Hills region, volunteering for a number of nonprofit education and conservation nonprofits. Kelly’s latest obsession is learning about native bees and growing native plants for pollinators.

Elijah Crabtree is an Education Specialist and Naturalist for the Arc of Appalachia. He was born and raised in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he acquired a passion and keen interest in the natural and cultural history of Appalachian Ohio. This led him to his former on-site residency at the Tremper Mound Preserve, overseeing its development as a management and educational hub. In 2025, he joined the administrative team as an Education Specialist to organize, coordinate, and lead many of the Arc’s Naturalist Programs. Elijah is an avid student of natural sciences and loves to spend his time studying and appreciating Ohio’s geology and botany.

Ann Geise is a Cincinnati-area artist who has been drawing and studying nature her entire life. Her artistry leans toward the ecological and the deep interconnection between local plants, animals, and geology. After working in pharmaceutical research for several years, Ann’s love of both nature and art converged and blossomed into full expression when she took a job at the Cincinnati Nature Center as Artist & Exhibits Manager, where she worked for 19 years. She continues creating artwork that helps connect people and nature.

Chelsea Gottfried works for the Crawford Park District as a naturalist and a nature-based preschool teacher. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, studying Early Childhood Education, Biology, and Psychology, and has since realized a growing obsession with nature. Chelsea is passionate about insects and native plants and has volunteered for Ohio dragonfly and bee Surveys. Her new book, Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide, co-authored with Jim McCormac, is now available for purchase from the Ohio University Press.

John Howard possesses the best of all the qualities associated with a “naturalist.” He has an insatiable curiosity and a perennial sense of wonder. Studying the backroads of Adams County his entire life, he knows nearly all, if not all, of the dragonflies, butterflies, vascular plants, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. He is working on a deep understanding of everything else! Taking a nature walk with John is a rare privilege for even his close friends, who don’t think twice about driving halfway across the state for an opportunity to watch fireflies, catch salamanders heading for the vernal pools, photograph the first spring flowers in bloom even if they are only half inch tall and tomorrow’s forecast calls for snow, or look for a new-to-science moth or caterpillar on an obscure plant.

Laura Hughes is a Wildlife Photographer & Videographer and enjoys studying and filming/photographing wildlife, especially those things that many people don’t get to see. She worked for ten years for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the last few as a macroinvertebrate biologist. She is now a contract biologist working with the state-endangered Allegheny Woodrat for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. She also recently worked for the BBC, filming fireflies for their Planet Earth series. In her spare time getting outside to see what interesting things we can find and film with her husband.

Jim McCormac was one of the founders of the first Mothapalooza and hasn't missed one since. An Ohio-born naturalist and author, Jim publishes articles for the Columbus Dispatch and his beautifully illustrated nature blog. He is also a stunning nature photographer - check out his work here. Jim books include: Wild Ohio, Great Lakes Nature Guide, and Birds of Ohio. His latest book, co-authored with Chelsea Gottfried, is Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide and is now available for purchase from the Ohio University Press. Jim retired from a long and successful career with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, where he performed public information and education in many creative capacities.

Dave McShaffrey is a Professor of Biology, Environmental Science, and Leadership at Marietta College. He has worked extensively with the Ohio Odonata Society, performing field work, museum research, and authoring 5 chapters for the 2002 book “Dragonflies and Damselflies of Ohio” (published by the Ohio Biological Survey) for which he served as co-editor. Dave's photographs are widely published, and he most recently contributed to the field guide to Ohio's Odonata.

Austin Newton, Regional Stewardship Manager for the Arc. Austin is dedicated to preserving natural spaces and fostering sustainable practices. Raised in southern Ohio, his connection to the land drives both his work and personal life. Before this role, Austin served as a naturalist, connecting people to nature through education and exploration. A published poet and filmmaker, he uses art to share his love for the natural world in creative and offbeat ways. Austin’s approach to land stewardship combines practical care with a sense of wonder, making him both a protector and explorer of the landscapes he cherishes.

Shaun Pogacnik is a senior at Ohio University studying Plant Biology. Field botanists sometimes seem like a state-endangered species in Ohio, and Shaun's rising star in the botanical field is noticed by fellow conservationists and deeply valued. Shaun currently works part-time as a Field Botanist for the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Although Shaun holds broad interests in botany and general natural history, he specializes in the identification and ecology of mosses and lichens.

Jasper Stevenson is a geologist, educator, musician, and artist working to connect people to the environment in unique ways. She teaches environmental education and art classes through the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, while now also pursuing a master's degree centered on science education, climate science, and entomology. Her artistic background gives her a different perspective on the natural world. Originally, she found herself struck by the beauty of moths and their caterpillars, which prompted her to start making detailed wool-felt caterpillars. Since that initial outing, she has also committed herself to the study and science of lepidoptera. Whether she is staying up uncomfortably late at a mothing sheet, making more bug art, or playing in her band, she is always just super excited to be here, and always trying to find an even deeper appreciation for the world around us.

Nancy Stranahan is the Director of the Arc and was one of the non-profit’s founders in 1995. She has guided the organization through nearly three decades of its phenomenal growth. She focused the organization’s early efforts in building its first preserve, the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, which is now the largest in a system of nearly 30 preserves. Prior to Nancy’s long engagement with the Arc, she co-managed Benevolence Bakery and Cafe in the Columbus’ North Market, and served as Chief Naturalist for Ohio State Parks.

Laura Wies is the Community Science Ambassador at the Arc of Appalachia, a volunteer position that is as important as it is unpaid. Whether presenting a talk on iNaturalist or sharing the beauty of an evening full of fireflies, connecting people with nature is always in focus. Laura has a particular passion for mothing, caterpillaring, and other nocturnal insect activities. Sharing that enthusiasm is key to conserving our magnificent Eastern forest communities.