Joseph Warfel will present on spiders and other arachnids at the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz). He’ll give an overview of spiders and their relatives, including brief life histories of arachnids and their place in nature and the global ecosystem.

DATE: Saturday, September 23

TIME: 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

LOCATION: April Hill (Greenagers), 62 N Undermountain Rd, South Egremont, MA

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Joseph Warfel is originally from the Pacific Northwest in Oregon and moved to Massachusetts for employment as an R&D machinist/cleanroom technician at MIT/Lincoln Laboratory—now retired. He had long had a growing curiosity about spiders that developed into a more serious study and learning after meeting Professor Herbert Levi of Harvard University. Joe soon joined the American Arachnological Society and British Arachnological Society and has remained a member for the last three-plus decades.

Over the last three decades, his photography of spiders has been featured in Natural History Magazine, Outside, AMC Journal, National Audubon Field Guides, scientific papers, calendars, and children’s books. They have also been displayed at gallery exhibitions and venues, such as the Harvard MCZ and Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

As a self-proclaimed “amateur” and “non-academic,” Joe is always learning and enjoys sharing what “small amount” of knowledge he has gained. During the last twenty-five years, he has participated in BioBlitz across Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

This presentation is one of many taking place during this year’s Berkshire Bioblitz that’s taking place on September 23–24, from noon to noon, at April Hill Education and Conservation Center, the headquarters for Greenagers. In addition to the presentations, there will be guided walks and demonstrations led by experts, all of which are free and open to the public. The four slideshow presentations, which range in topics from spiders to fungi, will each last for approximately half an hour and be followed by a Q&A. Click here to learn more about this program and other planned activities.