So a little story of how, Look for the Caterpillars!, came to be…

In August 2010, I paid a visit to my dearest friends, Steve and Jennifer. Our visits always include a hike somewhere, so we spent an afternoon hiking at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park along the Dyer’s Mill Trail. The three of us always have a great time catching up on whatever. At the time, Steve and I both worked for The Nature Conservancy in similar jobs managing nature preserves. We shared the challenges we faced in our jobs and how sometimes those challenges could get you down. Steve responded in his we ain’t making watches way, “sometimes you just have too look for the caterpillars”. His observation was not only true in our work, but it is true in life. Our conversation inspired me to always look for the caterpillars in life finding the small nugget of goodness somewhere somehow even in the most unexpected of places. Maybe it just spoke to the eternal optimist in me as well and I just needed that little reminder from a good friend. Now I carry it with me each day.

Steve and Jennifer write a blog, The Common Milkweed, where they share their passion for conservation, a love and wonder for all things nature, living a self-sustaining life, and making their dreams happen. Check out their blog post from the day we went looking for spicebush swallowtail caterpillars.