​Caterpillars are a critical, and often understudied, part of many ecosystems. In our region, they range from mere millimeters up to 10 cm in length, and come in a surprising array of colours, patterns, shapes, and ornamentations.

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​Launched in the summer of 2020, the High Park Caterpillar Survey is a multi-year citizen science project (100% volunteer) documenting the diversity, abundance, and behaviour of caterpillars in Toronto's High Park. (For a more in-depth history and what makes caterpillars so fascinating, click here​​​).

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The survey welcomes new volunteers — no experience necessary. You can find more details here.​

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As far as we know, this is the only citizen science project in North America (and possibly anywhere) focused exclusively on documenting the caterpillars of an urban park. If you know of any others, please let us know.

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Much like a caterpillar going through its instars (growing stages), the survey continues to expand with each passing year. In 2024, our fifth season, we held a whopping 55 sessions (~3 hr each), recording nearly 2700 caterpillars spread across 117 species. As of the end of 2024, the survey had recorded a total of 164 species.