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MC Professor Collects Caterpillars


Mississippi College professor Martha Hutson hunted caterpillars over the summer.

Her journey took her way away from the Magnolia State. The MC history/political science instructor traveled to the Ecuadorian rain forest. Hutson was on a mission to help scientists document the natural history of caterpillars and their hosts and the parasitoids that are their natural enemies.

"I never thought I'd be able to spend time in a tropical rain forest - a subject of much study in the geography classes I teach," Hutson said.

From July 21 until August 2, she joined ten other Earthwatch volunteers from the United States for the assignment. The research effort was led by Dr. Lee Dyer of the University of Reno. The mission was called "Climate Change and the Caterpillars in Ecuador" project.

Earthwatch is the world's largest environmental nonprofit volunteer organization. The group is based in metro Boston. It seeks to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustaintable environment. Since its founding in 1971, the organization has been supported by more than 93,000 volunteers.

"I look forward to sharing my experiences with my students and the greater Clinton community," she said soon after her return in early August. During her trip, the Clintonian spent most of the time at the Yanayacu Biological Station on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains, about 2,200 meters above sea level.The trip, she said, "has given me a great appreciation for our natural world."

Hutson has worked at MC since 2000 after retiring from the Clinton public schools. She received a bachelor's degree in history from William Carey University and a master's in history from the University of Southern Mississippi. A Clinton resident, she helps train secondary student teachers in social studies education.