The Extraordinary Caterpillar

Award-Winning THE EXTRAORDINARY CATERPILLAR
Directed/Produced by
JEFF MCKAY, featuring Doug Tallamy
a Climate Action NOW Monthly Film Festival Film
Monday April 27, 2026

Experience the enchanting world of The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a TVO Original documentary. This captivating film reveals the crucial role of these tiny creatures in transforming parks and backyards, powering ecosystems that support everything from songbirds to grizzly bears.

With stunning macro videography by naturalist Sam Jaffe, viewers will explore the fascinating survival skills and ecological importance of caterpillars. Produced by Merit Motion Pictures and directed by Jeff McKay, the documentary features insights from leading experts, including entomologist Antonia Guidotti and author Doug Tallamy. 

Join young explorers and gardeners as they highlight community efforts in caterpillar conservation, celebrating nature’s ultimate transformation artists and inspiring a new appreciation for the vibrant ecosystems around us. Don’t miss this eye-opening journey!

OUR AWESOME PANEL:

MALA PERSAUD, Owner of TRACE, The Zero Waste Store in Vienna, VA, and serves on the Town of Vienna’s Conservation and Sustainability Commission. Mala is a former journalist turned communications consultant and sustainability entrepreneur. Transitioning from a career in network journalism where she was based in London for more than a decade, Mala then applied her skills and global perspective to help a range of global health, development and sustainability shape their communications strategies. Driven by a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship, in 2019, Mala took a step into entrepreneurship, founding Trace: The Zero Waste Store in Vienna, VA. At Trace, Mala has created a destination for eco-conscious consumers, with more than 150 package-free foods, soaps, detergents and personal care items, in addition to hundreds of eco-friendly products. Trace’s mission is to champion ethical consumption and provide a platform for community education. Mala has just received the Fairfax County Environmental Excellence Award.

DANIELLE WYNNE, Watershed Education and Outreach Fairfax County Stormwater Management. Danielle has been a freshwater ecologist with the Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division since 2002. Danielle has an undergraduate degree in Biology and Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University. Her duties include stream insect and fish surveys, bacteria sampling, and field assessments of habitat and water quality. She leads the award-winning Watershed Education and Outreach section and has a passion for working with students and teachers to help promote the importance of environmental stewardship and education. Danielle has worked with tens of thousands of students and looks forward to educating many more.

JOANNE HUTTON, CoChair, Plant NOVA Natives campaign, Arlington Regional Master Naturalists. Joanne is an accredited Master Naturalist and Master Gardener dedicated to fostering biodiversity and higher quality habitats in our built environments, educating the public, and sharing sustainable practices & values within faith communities.

MODERATOR:

ELLE KATHERINE CLEVELAND is an English and Communication Major at George Mason University, where she is dedicated to honing her skills in effective communication and literary analysis.

EVENT SPONSOR: Climate Action NOW (CAN) 501c3.
EVENT PARTNERS: Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance (FIRA), Trace – The Zero Waste Store, Climate & Clean Energy Working Group, Go Electric DMV.

BOOK SEATS NOW! Limited Seating!