Landrum Library Speaker Series: A Few Stops on a Walk Around the Yard (and Beyond)

Date: March 17, 2026

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Landrum Library

Speaker: Dr. Mike Ferro, Entomologist and Collection Manager for the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department at Clemson University

Where manicured lawns meet the deep forest, stories begin to surface. This free educational program explores the unexpected world at the edge—where history, fashion, forbidden practices, insects, birds, and blooming plants collide. Join us for a brisk and surprising history of the lawn, vivid tales of wet leaves and rotting stumps, and ecological advice that might just skirt the rules. You’ll also get a gentle introduction to observing and collecting insects—using cameras and curious fingers only. No experience required, just a willingness to look closely and wander a little off the beaten path.

Mike grew up playing in the mud on a wooded farm in Missouri and started collecting bugs as part of a 4-H project when he was 8 or 9 years old. When he was an undergraduate he did some research trying to find populations of a rare dragonfly, the grey petaltail, in Missouri. For his masters research he tried to collect and document all the mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies in 15 Missouri State Parks. The larvae of those bugs live in water and are used to monitor water quality. Over two years he collected 44,593 specimens and identified 213 species! For his Ph.D. he tried to find out what beetles live in which kinds of dead wood in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He did several studies and collected more than 12,000 beetles representing more than 600 species. He also got to describe several new species of beetles (and a fly!) from the Smokies and other parts of the eastern US. Currently, Mike manages the Arthropod museum at Clemson University, which is a library for bugs. There are over a million specimens. Mike gets to collect bugs and help others do the same. The job lets him work with lots of different types of bugs and numerous projects, including webspinners, bark lice, scorpionflies, weird lacewings, fireflies, etc.

The Landrum Library Speaker Series programs are made possible thanks to our partnership with the Spartanburg County Public Libraries.

Contact Pam Torlina, pam@conservingcarolina.org, with questions or for more information.