| Course Number: | EDU 5710 S27 |
| Instructor: | Sean Beckett, M.S. |
| Location: | In-person & online. |
| Dates and Times: | July 06 - Sep 06, 2026. July 6-10, 2026, 8 am - 5 pm each day, with optional overnight class sessions during this week with the remainder of the course in an online environment. |
| Credits: | 3 Graduate Credits |
| Tuition: | Tuition is set by and payable to North Branch Nature Center |
This five-day seminar will provide an intensive immersion into the study of moths. Our methods include lectures about the taxonomy, evolution and anatomy of moths; hands-on lab work including traps sorts, dissection, and specimen preparation; and night-time identification at lights. Depending on student interest, we can also include day-time field trips to look for larvae and diurnal Lepidoptera.
This course aims to give participants a complete range of skills — from visual identification to dissection — for succeeding with learning Lepidoptera. We also value flexibility and our course is designed to be responsive to the interests of participants. With two instructors, we will be able to split into different working groups during the course of the day.
Audience: Naturalists and Educators with a Bachelor's Degree
Course will take place in-person, in the field and in the classroom, on the days listed in the scheduled course meeting time above. Course will take place at The Creative Campus at Goddard in Plainfield, VT, and may visit several sites during the week to cover course content in the field. Nightly reflections for each of the in-person days will be due immediately following the weekend. The course continues in an independent format with a final project due on September 6, 2026.
Costs for required readings/resources, if any, may not be included in the course tuition. Please contact NBNC for more information.
Wagner, D.L. 2025. Moths of the World: A Natural History. Princeton University Press.
Bladon, E. K., Christie, A. P., Smith, R. K., & Sutherland, W. J. (2025). Butterfly and moth conservation: Results from a global synopsis of evidence. Journal of Insect Conservation, 29, Article 19.
Tuskes, P. M., Tuttle, J. P., & Collins, M. M. (2025). The wild silk moths of North America: A natural history of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press.
O’Neill, J. P., et al. (2025). Trait‑mediated phenological shifts in moths under climate change: Evidence for alternative response strategies. Journal of Insect Conservation, 29, Article 62.
Beadle, D., & Leckie, S. (2012). Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.*
Wagner, D. L. (2005). Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History. Princeton University Press.*
*These last two resources, though published >5 years ago, remain the most recent definitive field guides to lepidoptera.
(802) 229-6206
This course requires registration with North Branch Nature Center (NBNC) first. Please click on the Register Now! link below.