The Extraordinary Caterpillar
4K| 58 mins | 2025
A peek into the dazzling world of nature’s tiniest and mightiest superheroes. Naturalists, scientists and community members reveal the connections woven between native plants, insects and animals in this celebration of our natural world – with the extraordinary caterpillar at the heart of it all.
A co-production between Edgeland Films & Merit Motion Pictures - Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Broadcaster: TVO – Toronto Ontario Canada.
Distributed by SIDEWAYS FILM
Film and television distribution. Bouverie Mews, Bouverie Road, London, N16 0AE
Tel: +44 788 147 3603
Email: Kazz@sidewaysfilm.com
The Caterpillar
NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE
“My goal is to create a film as surprising & beautiful as nature really is. Enchanting, enlightening, the Caterpillar's shocking adaptive & transformational abilities, its beauty, the endless varieties – all making it a genetic wizard. It is the unexpected engineer at the centre of our planet's food web and a reminder to us all of the hidden complexity of nature that surrounds us. The caterpillar never fails to surprise.”
– Filmmaker Jeff McKay
By looking at what I like to call, ‘this world of small’ - you will see for yourself this unexpected tiny critter with layers of life with all that it surrounds. WOW.
And the unexpected beauty of it all.
Yes! The brilliant beauty. And the surprise!
Filming in Boothbay Maine, and the Maine Botanical Garden with the Caterpillar Lab multiday open house event there. Thousands of visitors came through and we were there to film them, many seeing caterpillars up close for the first time ever.
As humans we tend to dismiss small things.
THE TINY MIND BLOWERS STRIKE AGAIN!
We humans tend to believe bigger is better.
A surprizing fact is that 99% of life on earth;
IS SMALLER than a BEE!
And what do we think about that!?
And what do we think about insects!?
Most of us have no time for insects. They are typically something we tend to squish.
And thoughts are typically, “What are they good for!?” & “They do not do anything for us”.
We may focus on ‘they may bite us. Or sting us. They eat the things we want to eat’.
In short – “they are pests.”
And that is very often how they are seen & classified.
As PESTS.
CATERPILLARS!
Yes Caterpillars!
Who’d a thunk it?
Stinging Rose Caterpillars (Credit: Sam Jaffe)
Black Etched Caterpillar (Credit: Same Jaffe)
Cecropia Caterpillar (Credit: Caterpillar Films)
Chickadee with Caterpillars (Credit: Hugo Kitching)
Emerald Decorator Caterpillar (Credit: Sam Jaffe)
Io Caterpillar Hatchlings (Credit: Sam Jaffe)
Joe Pye Weed native plant in Amanda's garden (Credit: Caterpillar Films)
Leaf Miner in a Poplar Leaf (Credit: Caterpillar Films)
Northern Pine Sphinx Caterpillar (Credit: Caterpillar Films)
For all that caterpillars do to sustain life, Caterpillars & insects rank very low on a human’s list of important or cuddly critters.
This film is a rare opportunity for audiences to understand and witness for themselves the unlikely tiny caterpillar. Society is always on the lookout for the next biggest thing. In a refreshing twist, this film shows the value of small. I was surprised to learn that 99% of all known species on earth are smaller than a bee.
Since 1970 earth has lost an estimated 70% of its known global terrestrial insect population. This is especially alarming; as life on earth depends on insects to re-generate food webs - life on this planet is generated literally from the ground up. All animals get food energy directly from plants, or by eating something that has eaten a plant. Caterpillars pass more energy from plants than any other plant eater. If insects continue to disappear, everything will go with them.
Food is the commerce of nature.
The caterpillar proves to be the canary in the coalmine of global biodiversity. Since 1970 – North America has lost over 3 billion birds. As foundational to feeding as caterpillars are, caterpillars are often given the misnomer of pest or scourge. Because we don’t understand a role an insect has doesn’t mean that they are pointless or expendable. Every critter has its purpose.
E.O. Wilson, the respected entomologist considered the founder of modern day environmentalism… famously noted, insects are, “The Little Things that Run the World”.
But what of the caterpillar? They are larvae stage of the animal order, Lepidoptera which has the most complex insect development. Adult stage Lepidoptera morph to either moths, butterflies or skippers. On the evolutionary time scale, Moths appeared about 200 million years ago, butterflies evolved from moths about 100 million years ago. Moth species outnumber butterflies about ten to one. And after 200 million years, it is safe to say that caterpillars remain misunderstood.
“It’s impossible to look away from a magnified caterpillar.”
– Sam Jaffe: The Caterpillar Lab
Saddleback Caterpillars (Credit: Same Jaffe)
There is a young man in rural New Hampshire, who is doing much to change the way we see and understand caterpillars. Samuel Jaffe is founder and director of the Caterpillar Lab. Uniquely employing microscopic video, Sam’s in-depth knowledge of nature’s inter-caterpillar relationships, reveal caterpillars as we have never seen previously.
When Sam speaks of the balance of nature, “Nature may appear cruel, as the old saying goes, “eat and be eaten”. It takes between 6000 to 9000 caterpillars to raise one nest of chickadees. Caterpillars also play host to 10’s of 1000’s types of parasitic flys, wasps and other insects. In nature the caterpillar truly is at the centre of the food web.
Leaf Miner in a Poplar Leaf
But what about FOOD FOR THE CATERPILLAR?
It all begins with the plants. Native species plants are key to providing food for any caterpillar. Dramatic loss and destruction of native species plant & habitat, coupled with the proliferation of introduced Asian & European plants, inedible for North American caterpillars is crushing biodiversity.
NO native species plants = no caterpillars = no birds.
North America has lost 3 billion nesting birds since 1970.
In the film you will see and be TRULY AMAZED by photos of Caterpillars. The stunner one’s with solid black or white backgrounds are all by Samuel Jaffe. The lab has now moved from Marlborough New Hampshire to Dublin, New Hampshire, USA. The vids in the film of Caterpillars against black & also white backgrounds are also by Sam. Well and hold on a minute cuz there are also some time lapses of moths also by Sam. So these images & vids that are removed from nature – they are what you could call ‘gallery styled art shots’. The Caterpillars are front and centre in the frame. There is nothing to interfere with their mind-blowing features.
So take a gander at Sam’s images – they are stunning. And if you are not familiar with Caterpillars you may be taken aback by the incredible variety of shapes, colours, textures and stunning beauty.
Stinging Rose Caterpillars (Credit: Sam Jaffe)
But let’s talk about the photographer of these photos. Samuel Jaffe is as much a surprise as the caterpillars are. Talking & listening to Sam and the staff of the lab, talk about nature, one becomes inspired by their wonder, curiosity, enthusiasm and admiration for nature. Yes indeed - The Caterpillar Lab is indeed a special place.
Jack Forrester & Lucy McKay from the Caterpillar Lab
WHEN WE BEGAN THIS FILM PROJECT:
We were ourselves like little PUPAS …
Yah we were ‘In Development’.
WHO IS IN THIS FILM?
Doug Tallamy is an Entomologist, Conservationist & author in Pennsylvania USA
David Wagner is an Entomologist, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut USA
Andrea Stauber is a Horticulturalist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Amanda McConnell is a lifelong Environmentalist, activist, and writer in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Laura Reeves is a very enthusiastic botanist in Gardenton, Manitoba, Canada
Antonia Guidotti is an insects and arachnids technician in the department of Natural History at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Sam Jaffe of The Caterpillar Lab
Dana Buchbinder & THE ‘Eco-Sparkers’
At this point I’m no spring chicken. Forty+ years of making films.
I would never have thought that I’d still be making films at this point in my life.
Making documentary film in Canada hasn’t been easy, and still isn’t. I have spent 90% of my work-life in Winnipeg. And there are SO MANY SUPER TALENTED FOLKS HERE. We are blessed. Musicians, sound engineers, camera and tech peeps, creative types of all stripes. My long time executive producer partner Merit Jensen Carr is also here. So yes - I’ve been lucky and yah – I’m also stubborn and often very persnickity.
And as per usual >>> we carry on!
Merit and I began thinking on this project years before any filming began. When I was developing my previous feature documentary, ‘Call of the Forest’, back in 2011/ 2012, I had read about an entomologist from Pennsylvania by the name of Doug Tallamy. He talked about landscapes. And if you have a forest and you run a road through it - you split the forest in two. Making that forest system half as effective. (BTW I finished my 87 min feature, ‘Call of the Forest’ in 2016)
In early 2022 Merit had optioned one of Doug Tallamy’s fine books for the possibility of a film adaptation. In December 2022, my pal Deco Dawson and I traveled down to Newark, Delaware, to film an interview with Doug. That was the first interview we shot.
And there we were – Deco, myself and Doug stuffed into a hotel room with a green screen AS it poured rain outside.
Merit
I knew if we were to get this show rolling and to keep it rolling I’d have to do whatever I could to help move the show forward. As these things go with documentary filmmaking in Canada (& elsewhere) it’s on us filmmakers to push forward however with whatever we have at hand to push forward with. With a wee tiny amount of development funds, in June 2023, I took it upon myself to make a solo road trip with my camera, from Winnipeg back to Pennsylvania to see Doug at his home and his restored ten-acre property. During the three day drive I have to say – WOW! just how much wildlife I saw dead along the side of the highways. In some States there was much more, in others less so. And notably there were deer, all ages from spindly long legged young fawns to big bucks - all of them hammered by vehicles. But there were animals of all sorts; beautiful bushy tailed foxes, racoons, hares, you name it. All pasted by vehicles and rotting dead along the side of highways.
You see when you are making these films you are typically on the road. Sometimes it’s far from home, like on the other side of the planet, or for this trip it was a road trip down into the USA.
After arriving where Maryland meets Delaware meets Pennsylvania, I located the air BNB that I had booked. I share with you a couple emails I sent to Kerri, my development co-ordinator & sanity lifeline.
RE: it was indeed a nightmare B&B I had booked for my 1st night upon arriving at my destination
I filmed with Doug for several days around his property. On my last morning at Doug’s I had put my camera away in the car. I grabbed my audio recorder and headed back to a marshy area to grab sound ambiences. I’m standing on a path when what do I see? One then two then two more then yet another! Wild Turkeys! marching past me on my right. They must have known I had packed away my camera. Argh! And because I had my sound recorder – they didn’t make a single sound.
It was time to head north up thru NYC to Connecticut. I managed to hit NYC right at evening rush hour. It was a memorable day. It was day number one when the sky was a thick orange haze. Yes it was the smoke from forest fires in CANADA! Yup Manhattan was in an orange haze so thick that you could not see the buildings. Eventually I made my way across the George Washington bridge, out of the city and up the Merritt Parkway to Connecticut. I headed to my brother and sister in law’s place for a pit stop & short visit. Once at my brothers I saw on the news that an overpass bridge on the interstate had collapsed. I had crossed that overpass just the day before.
Next on my interview list was ‘DW’. Professor David Wagner. David welcomed me into his home and for about three hours we filmed & visited. At the time, little did I know that it would be my only time with David. Then it was onward to see Sam Jaffe at the Caterpillar Lab in New Hampshire.
The Caterpillar Lab! Amazing! I had only three hours at the lab with Sam but got some great moments and knew then that Sam would be key to the film.
I had some pizza with Sam then jumped back in the car and headed north. It was my goal to hit the Canadian border before stopping but in the dark I hit torrential rain and heavy traffic. Eventually I stopped at a horror of a motel, in upstate NY, where I grabbed 3 hours snooze then back on the road.
Hit Cornwall, Ontario Canada at about 5AM. On my second day in Toronto I filmed with Amanda McConnell and the morning I was leaving for my long drive back to Winnipeg I met for the first time - the amazing Andrea Stauber. I began the long drive over the top of Lake Superior back home to Winnipeg. I was pooped out tired but had now met many of the folks that I could build a fabulous film around. And too I could begin to sort out what the story possibilities would be.
My working title was ‘Food for the Caterpillar’. And that is indeed what the film in the end comes down to. If there is food for the caterpillar, then there will be food for the food web.
- PRODUCTION -
It was a frothy time of it – but we squeaked our pitch thru to Ontario broadcaster TVO just as their funding door was closing. They loved the project and wanted to support it. Though the money was going to be very tight. My company Edgeland Films and Merit’s company Merit Motion Pictures and were the co producers. Producer Joanne Jackson from Ontario came on as support and helped with pitch materials and advice. We revisited our budget and did tightening up, deciding that we would proceed despite how very tight the finances would be.
Deco mulls a Mexican menu in Delaware that Deco found. So Good!
Having done the development shooting and research by myself I knew it would be a slog to shoot the film by myself. I asked my pal, Winnipeg filmmaker Deco Dawson to join me as additional camera and support. Deco said yes. Between Sandra Moore our production manager, Alexa Rosentreter business Affairs, Jolyn Hoogstraten production accountant we were able to shuffle the budget so that I could hire Deco to travel with me on X number of shoots. Then we were looking at the number of possible shoot days & travel days and the pressure was on to do more with less. I knew if I did not have Deco with me – it would have taken me twice as long and I would have been extra exhausted just as I would be facing months of editing.
But we sorted it - & Deco was brilliant.
A great partner in production, Deco was always ready for whatever job that was in front of us. He never complained once. Fortunately for us, I specialize in complaining. One complaint was about the ‘complimentary’ breakfasts that were often inedible. Plastic food served in styrofoam.
Deco and I had long long travel days. We had many bags of gear to lug about. Then we had import/ export ‘Carnet’ paperwork to complete with Canada & US customs with all our equipment. Once away from airports we were then navigating cities & highways on a very tight time schedule that was ruled by our very tight budget. Not a lot of room for mishaps, misfortune, or missteps. When our shoots were done - we were too.
What happens when your tripod is up so high you can barely reach the camera? But you do, reach the camera. But the tripod is sitting on uneven ground and accidentally, you ever so gently bump the tripod and over & away it goes!… Whump!
The World As We See It
The camera hits the ground and the top of your lens breaks away from the lens mount, pops off and rolls away like a decapitated head.
My Canon 16-35mm lens BROKEN! – and then presto! REPAIRED!!!
Finally the 1st weekend of August 2024, Deco and I finished up our shoot in Boothbay Maine, and the Maine Botanical Garden with the Caterpillar Lab multiday open house event there.
Deco and I took these photos of each other after we were packed up – Our last day in Maine at the Caterpillar Lab event. It was Deco’s and my last day shooting together on the film after several busy months of filming.
And as it turned out - this was to be our last shoot together on the show. Then we were driving back to Boston for our flight to Minneapolis connecting flights home to Winnipeg. And then because of summer storm delays we missed our flight home.
We had been expecting to film with David Wagner out west in Nevada or New Mexico later in August but little did I know that wasn’t going to happen. So there was no further filming with David, which changed the way I edited the film.
On our return home we were pooped out! I carried on with the remaining filming myself. I shot with botanist Laura Reeves in southern Manitoba. And another pickup of shoot days in Toronto with Amanda McConnell and Andrea Stauber. And then there were the other folks whom I had hoped to film with that it just did not work out. Such as CaterpillarCounts! with Allen Hurlbert in South Carolina. Bad timing and limited funds canceled our shoot plans.
There was then a pile of editing ahead for me. From September through to early spring I assembled the show and got a pretty decent rough cut done. Then my co-editor James Yates came on. James is awesome and immediately clicked in on what I was doing/ where I was going with the film. James was a massive help to me. Between the two of us we managed to get the cut done on time and on budget. Jorge Requena did the music and did an amazing job. Deco returned to the project to bring his online voodoo colour mastering to the show.
My Assistant Editors Lola & Georgia. Deco & Georgia
- And then we finished the film! And I was so done! –
Our unexpected Narrator - The Tobacco Hornworm
SO IF YOU ARE IN CANADA! ‘THE EXTRAORDINARY CATERPILLAR’ is available for FREE from Canadian broadcaster TVO’s YouTube channel. No log-ins. No passwords. No fees.
I am very happy with the finished film. It does what I had set out to do.
And here of course - I could go on and on, but then you’ll be as tired and bored as I am.
If’n you want more here is: A radio interview about caterpillars with JEFF on CBC radio from Sept 28 2025.