Upper School Intersession 2025

Are daddy long legs the most venomous spider? Do we eat eight spiders per year in our sleep? Have you ever seen a blue spider? Orange? What about pink? Fear and disgust towards spiders is pervasive throughout the United States. However, spiders are important for the survival of our ecosystems as well as for controlling insect populations. This session will focus on addressing common misconceptions about spiders by looking at the results of science experiments over the last 50 years. We will also discuss how people perceive spiders in other countries. In addition, I will talk about my journey into being a spider scientist and how spiders have helped me reshape what being a scientist looks like. Lastly, we will discuss how spiders benefit the environment and end with some of the coolest spider facts that you can share with your peers. Yes there will be live spiders! Yes I will leave time for questions! Let’s chat about spiders!