Our Guide to Insects, Debbie Hadley, is a naturalist, freelance writer, and photographer. Through her workshops, she advises schools and homeowners on creating insect-friendly landscapes.

Experience:

Debbie has spent 15 years as a naturalist and teacher, sharing her passion for wildlife with others. A member of the Monarch Teacher Network, she raises Monarchs in her own backyard butterfly tent. In 2004, she volunteered on an Earthwatch research project in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil, where she collected and recorded macroinvertebrates populations. Debbie is a volunteer Master Gardener and helps identify mystery caterpillars, beetles, and ticks (which are not insects!) at the county extension office. Debbie also created a Traveling Insect Zoo to share live insects with children at schools and libraries. She recently completed a beekeeping course, and plans to start keeping bees soon.

From Debbie Hadley:

I'm excited to share my passion for insects with you. As an avid gardener and naturalist, I've learned the important role insects play in an ecosystem. The interaction between insects and plants fascinates me. Through this website, my goal is to provide information about insects and how each insect species fits into the web of life.

When I'm not feeding caterpillars or searching for springtails in my compost bin, I'm usually leading a hike or visiting a classroom to teach children about insects and other wildlife through my business, WILD Jersey.