NOTE: This event will be presented digitally via Zoom only.
The in-person option will not be held due to pandemic concerns.
Presenter – Jim McCormac
There are perhaps 2,600 species of moths and approximately 140 butterfly species in Ohio. The conspicuous and often showy winged adults are but the short-lived finale of a four stage life cycle: egg, pupa, caterpillar, and adult. It’s caterpillars that make much of the natural world go around, and countless billions become food for other organisms. Without vegetation-eating caterpillars and the native plants that they require, most songbirds would vanish, insect diversity would plummet, and our forests would fall silent. This richly illustrated talk delves into the seemingly magical synergy between flora and caterpillars, and its ecosystem ramifications.
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. He’s currently at work on books about dragonflies, and moths. 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. His photography can be sampled at https://www.jimmccormac.com/
HOW TO ATTEND DIGITALLY VIA ZOOM
To attend this event, click on this link.
You will need to use this pass code to enter the meeting: 332894
If you would like to use your phone for audio during the meeting, call this number 1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
* This event is free and open to the public