My name is Joe Lapp, but kids call me Spider Joe. I’m a nature educator based in Austin, Texas, and I’m on a mission to teach the world to smile at spiders. I don’t mean the big furry tarantulas that people love to have and hold or else scream in terror at. I mean those everyday spiders that you find everywhere—the spider on the kitchen floor, in the bathroom corner, just outside the window, on the yellow flower, or under the park bench. These little forgotten beings are every bit as exciting as butterflies.
Yes, spiders are just as wondrous as butterflies. While butterflies are amazing for their beauty, spiders are amazing for their diversity—and some even for their beauty too. Learn a little about spiders, watch them and get to know them, and your world will change. You’ll smile more. Really! Unlike butterflies, spiders are everywhere, all the time. A spider in the house is a butterfly in the house. Think about that. Imagine just how full of smiles a person’s life can be.
Spiders really are fascinating. Some are gorgeous, like the Giant Lichen Orbweaver, which looks like a lichen-covered river stone. Some are cute and friendly, like jumping spiders, whose large eyes look like cool sunglasses. Some are silly and walk sideways, like crab spiders, or swing and jump around like monkeys, as do lynx spiders. Others mimic ants and quiver their front legs like ant antennae, while still others like dewdrop spiders are the vultures and hyenas of the spider world and circle in on the kills of other spiders. There is even a pirate spider that specializes in eating other spiders.
I’m here to share all of this with you, in photos, video, and story. Watch my journal to get your regular dose of spiders. We’ll be learning together, and on occasion we’ll even see things never seen before. I generally keep my journal entries short, but now and then I’ll also post longer, more in-depth pieces under Stuff. You’ll also find some of my educational resources there. If you’re in Austin, you might check out my calendar of events that are open to the general public. I also offer private educational programs mainly for children, focusing on spiders and ecology.
So who am I? What am I? I’m a spider enthusiast. I do this for fun, but I’m also striving to make a career of it. I’m a computer programmer by trade, and I did well enough to take time off to explore other possible futures. I found a good one in spiders. Programming is great fun, but through spiders I’m finally engaging all my senses and feel like I’m fully living life. Perhaps the best thing about spiders, aside from their being endlessly stimulating, is that they are a conversation starter with anyone. Squeemish people are desperate for information, but there are also surprisingly many closet spider lovers eager to share their stories. A few are simply fascinated that people actually attend my programs.
My mission as Spider Joe is to foster people’s fascination for spiders, to teach people to enjoy spiders, and to share my philosophical explorations into the nature of ecology and life.
Please join me in exploring the world of spiders. You’ll be smiling at spiders in no time. Just imagine smiling at every spider surprise. You’ll find yourself smiling often, and usually rather suddenly.
