High Park
Caterpillar
Survey
‟Doing citizen science when the sun goes down”
Species recorded to date:
164
In the summer of 2020, to keep active during the Covid lockdowns, long-time naturalist Richard Aaron invited a friend to search for caterpillars in Toronto's High Park. This 399-acre (161-hectare) urban park contains several natural areas, so offered good potential. At the end of the season, interest remained high, so it was decided to turn this into a multi-year survey. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only citizen science project in the world dedicated exclusively to documenting caterpillars in an urban park. (For a lengthier history and what makes caterpillars so fascinating, click HERE).
Much like a caterpillar going through its instars (growing stages), with each passing year the survey continues to grow. This includes the number of volunteers, the overall species list, our ability to find and identify caterpillars, and our knowledge of caterpillar natural history. In 2024, the survey held 55 sessions and recorded nearly 2700 caterpillars spread across 117 species (43 being new for the species list).
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The survey welcomes new volunteers - no experience necessary. You can find more details HERE.​
​Survey location: High Park (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)