NOTE: Reserving your tickets in advance saves time on arrival. Get your tickets today.

LOGIN   |   LOGOUT

LOGIN   |   LOGOUT

Tues., June 16; 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Nature Talks | Growing Caterpillars with Jim McCormac

Join us for a Nature Talk on Growing Caterpillars: A Tangled Tale of Birds, Plants, and Conservation with Jim McCormac!

Speaker: Jim McCormac
Special Events Hall at Phipps Conservatory
Free for Phipps members | $15 nonmembers | $10 child nonmembers

Buy Tickets

There are thousands of species of moths and butterflies in eastern North America. These winged adults are the short-lived finale of a four-stage life cycle: egg, pupa, caterpillar, and adult. The caterpillar phase provides the most support to the natural world, including to its own predators. Learn how these vegetation-obsessed creatures are vital to native plants, songbirds, botanical diversity and more! 

The evening will open with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. during which guests can tour the Conservatory. At 6:30 p.m., guest speaker Jim McCormac will lead a richly illustrated talk delving into the seemingly magical synergy between flora, caterpillars and birds.  

More Event Features: 


About the Speaker

Jim McCormac

Jim worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for 31 years as a botanist, and later specializing in wildlife diversity projects, especially involving birds. He has authored or coauthored six books, including Birds of Ohio (Lone Pine 2004); and Wild Ohio: The Best of Our Natural Heritage (Kent State University Press 2009). The latter won the 2010 Ohioana Book award. He is a coauthor of the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II book. His most recent books are Gardening for Moths (Ohio University Press 2023) and A Naturalist’s Guide to the Odonata of Ohio (Ohio Biological Survey 2024). Jim writes a column, Nature, for the Columbus Dispatch, and regularly publishes a natural history blog. He has written numerous articles in a variety of publications and has delivered hundreds of presentations throughout the eastern United States. He was named 2015 Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Ohio League of Sportsmen. Jim is an avid photographer, shooting a range of natural history subjects. He has had hundreds of photos published in various forums, including the TV program Jeopardy. His photography can be sampled at https://www.jimmccormac.com/ 

More Events You’ll Enjoy

  • Adult Education at Phipps

    See description for dates and times

    Peruse our offerings for an exciting variety of fun and enriching programs on gardening, culinary arts and more to let your inspiration grow this season.
  • Story Time

    WEDNESDAYS; 10:30 A.M. AND 1 P.M.
    REGISTRATION REQUIRED

    Kids will love visiting Phipps to listen to our storyteller weave tales about gardens, animals and other fun topics. Open to the first 40 ticketed participants (whether children or guardians) and must be booked in advance using our online ticketing system.
  • Planets Earth

    Now Open

    A dynamic exhibit at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes addresses the pressing environmental issues of our time and proposes a new way of thinking about how to solve them.