Tour leader Don Scallen dove into the natural world as a little boy and has remained immersed ever since.

He’s a birder, butterfly blitzer, fish watcher and a native plant aficionado. He is also captivated by insects including caterpillars and moths.

For many summers Don has brought large Saturniidae moth caterpillars to this event in High Park, including cecropias, polyphemus and prometheas. He talks about their life histories and how to rear them and gives participants an opportunity to hold them and admire them up close.

After his talk, he’ll take participants on a walk to look for butterflies and monarch caterpillars. Don is the author of Nature Where We Live, a compendium of nature activities that can be done near home.