Learn about the amazing adaptations of caterpillars from host specialization to defensive mechanisms. Discuss the critical role caterpillars play in food webs. Discover signs of caterpillar activity, tools to identify them, and explore a restoration planting to hone your search skills. This program takes place in person at Mt. Cuba Center on Thursday, August 22, 2024. About the Instructor: Ellen Lake, PhD, is the Director of Conservation and Research at Mt. Cuba Center. She taught environmental education and was the Education Director at the Brandywine and Red Clay Valley Associations. Ellen has a master’s degree in Entomology and Ph.D. in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Delaware, where she researched biological control of mile-a-minute weed and how to integrate weed management techniques to restore plant communities. Ellen has extensive experience researching insect-plant interactions, including work for the USDA in the Greater Everglades ecosystem.