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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

'The Extraordinary Caterpillar'

By Racquel Stephen,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published June 25, 2026 at 3:18 PM EDT
Three people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has long brown hair and is wearing glasses and a dark green button-down shirt; a man at center has a brown mustache and is wearing a white baseball cap, white t-shirt and a light blue button-down shirt; a woman at right has very short blonde hair and is wearing glasses, a green turtleneck and black knee-high boots.
1 of 2  — Laurie Broccolo and Kevin Farrell with guest host Racquel Stephen on "Connections"
Laurie Broccolo and Kevin Farrell with guest host Racquel Stephen on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, June 25, 2026
Mary Hussong-Kallen / WXXI News
A smiling women with long blonde hair is wearing a red t-shirt with white lettering while leaning her shoulder against a large tree.
2 of 2  — Kyra Stevenson
Kyra Stevenson
Provided
A smiling woman with short blonde hair sits at a desk in front of a microphone wearing a gold necklace and green and white patterned dress.
David Griffin
/
WXXI News
Racquel Stephen guest hosting "Connections with Evan Dawson"

Before they become butterflies or moths, caterpillars play a critical role in supporting biodiversity within our ecosystem. These creatures are a food source for birds and other insects; they support pollination; and their waste nourishes the soil.

The importance of caterpillars is captured in Jeff McKay’s documentary film, “The Extraordinary Caterpillar.” The Broccolo B-Friendly Farm and Gardens in Fairport will be hosting a special screening June 29.

Guest host Racquel Stephen discusses the film with a panel of enthusiasts and explores the hidden world of these small herbivores.

Our guests:

Connections
Racquel Stephen
Racquel Stephen is WXXI's health, equity and community reporter and producer. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Rochester and a master's degree in broadcasting and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
See stories by Racquel Stephen
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams