Hi everyone! My 2008 programs are temporarily on hold. I’m currently in Georgia undergoing physical therapy for a hip and back injury. I’m hoping to return to Austin sometime in May. Please contact Dave Moellendorf of Austin Arachnological Services if you would like schedule a program for Spring 2008. He’s a great teacher, and he’ll wow the kids with his arachnological zoo. — Spider Joe, March 2008

I offer a variety of educational programs on spiders. My programs all focus on the everyday spiders we commonly see around the house or yard and in our parks. These spiders include orbweavers, crab spiders, cobweb weavers, jumping spiders, and so on, but I don’t normally teach about tarantulas, unless we actually encounter them on a walk. People already know and love tarantulas, and my mission is to open people’s eyes to the spiders we see every day.

I regularly offer programs for children and families and occasionally offer programs for adults. At this time my children’s programs all include an outdoor component. If you would like a program that can be done entirely indoors, or if you would like a program on tarantulas, scorpions, and other charismatic arachnids, I highly recommend contacting Dave Moellendorf of Austin Arachnological Services. Dave is enthusiastic, entertaining, knowledgeable, and very friendly.

To arrange for a program or for more information about my programs, please email me at joe.lapp@pobox.com. Thank you!

SAFETY: I’m a stickler for safety. All children are required to bring water to my outdoor events, and all are required to wear shoes or boots and must not wear sandals or other open footwear. I also strongly recommend a hat, sunscreen, and long pants. Children who wear shorts or dresses on outdoor trips are prone to getting scraped or scratched.

Children’s Spider Hunt (grades K-5)

We go outside and look for spiders! I’ll start by helping the kids distinguish between spiders and other arthropods, and then we’ll go on a hunt. We’ll talk about the spiders we see, and I’ll show their special tricks if I can. Once I demonstrate how to find spiders, the kids often end up finding far more spiders than we have time to investigate. Sometimes the kids find amazing things.

This program can be done virtually anywhere outdoors. I prefer to walk a short path, but we’ve had great success in fields and even in downtown courtyards. I can help choose a location. If we aren’t walking a path, we need to be away from traffic, cliffs, and fast-running water.

I can make this program last for 1 to 2 hours, and I may run over by as much as 15 minutes, depending on how much action we have and how involved the kids are. My 1-hour and 1.5-hour programs are $25, and my 2-hour program is $35. I’d like at least 4 children, but no more than 12. Including adults, I limit the total number of participants to 24. When it’s too crowded, people lose out, and I have trouble managing the group.

I gladly offer this program for free to non-profit organizations other than schools and homeschooling groups — it’s fun for me too.

Children’s Presentation and Spider Hunt (grades K-5)

We begin with a fun, half-hour indoor presentation that introduces the kids to spiders. I bring my own projector, but I will need a screen or white wall to project on. After the presentation, we go on either a 1 hour or 1.5 hour spider hunt, as described above. The presentation provides a more thorough education than a spider hunt alone would do, but it lengthens the program. The entire program lasts either 1.5 or 2 hours, not including transition time between the presentation and the hunt. The 1.5-hour program is $35 and the 2-hour program is $45. I don’t charge for the transition time.

Children’s Spider Hunt and Science Experiment (grades 3-6)

This program is designed to satisfy TEKS requirements while introducing children to the amazing world of spiders. We learn about spiders and about science and then we do a science experiment with spiders. We start with a 45-minute presentation introducing spiders, science, and our particular experiment. We then go on a spider hunt to perform the experiment. We close by discussing the results of the experiment.

This is a 3-hour program, including a half-hour lunch/bathroom break. It must be done at a location with both a building for the presentation and an outdoor area with both tall grasses and low-branched trees. My preferred location is Wild-Connections, as it’s a great place and they are experienced with running this program. To hold this at Wild-Connections, contact them for the date and fee. Otherwise I charge $75, not including facility fees. I can readily conduct this program with up to 20 children (or 30 people total). Please contact me to arrange for a group of more than 20 children, even if you plan to hold the program at Wild-Connections.

I offer this program April through June and September through November. It’s best to start this program around 9 or 10am.

Spider Training for Nature Educators (adults)

I lead or co-lead informal walks for nature educators and nature educators in training. We learn about spiders as we encounter them. I explain basic facts about spiders, show people how to find spiders, and teach how to identify a few kinds of spiders. I stick with common names and generally only offer scientific names when asked. I’ll do walks of any length. This program is free.