Moths aren’t just butterflies’ homely cousins. They’re amazing, not only for their beauty, but for their incredible diversity (160,000 species!) and ingenious adaptations. With National Moth Week coming up, it’s the perfect time to get to know these extraordinary creatures.
Also in this blog: upcoming events, activities for garden lovers, citizen science kits you can check out free from your library, and the kick off for our new SciStarter Ambassador program.
National Moth Week is July 20 – 28 and, despite its name, is INTERnational, not national. Sign up and find an event near you! This year’s theme is “Colors,” and while moths are often considered drab (especially compared to butterflies), many are as brilliantly colorful as their showy cousins. Also, check out the Mothing section of the Discover Life website and the Butterflies and Moths of North America project.
From the LIVE Archive: Learn how anyone can observe moths and submit data to accelerate research from leaders of National Moth Week, Elena Tartaglia and Liti Haramaty. Watch the recording on Youtube. Join this year’s celebration and join us for SciStarter LIVE on July 30th, for the highlights! Register on Zoom.
The great gardens of 18th century Europe featured exotic flowers from all over the world, hybridized to feature showy blooms, rather than the nectar and pollen that native insects and other wildlife need to survive. Now the trend is towards native plants that support local pollinators. We’ve got a bouquet of garden-based citizen science projects that encourage you to collect research data while you exercise your green thumb. Celebrate with gardening activities on SciStarter.
Thanks to the Citizen and Community Science Library Network, many libraries now offer Citizen Science Kits, with everything you need to participate in projects like Exploring Biodiversity, Monitoring Air Quality, Mapping Mosquito Habitats, Measuring Light in the Night Sky and more! Go to the SciStarter Library page to see if your library participates. If they don’t, consider inviting them to Join the Network!
The SciStarter Ambassador Program is a new volunteer training program designed for people who want to introduce SciStarter and citizen science to people in their communities. As libraries and community-based organizations are becoming community hubs for SciStarter and citizen science, they need additional support from volunteers to help with events and programs. The SciStarter Ambassador Program aims to address this gap! Register for the July 31 launch party to learn more!
On July 23rd – Get Hooked on History: Help close fishery data gaps with historical dock photos! Dive into the past with FISHstory, a Zooniverse project where you can assist researchers. online, anytime in identifying historic catches from the days before dedicated catch monitoring programs existed in the South Atlantic Fishery. Visit the project page. Register: https://SciStarter.org/go/LIVE
On July 30th – Moth Week 2024 Highlights: Celebrate nature’s (mostly) nocturnal wonders! Join us for an exciting celebration of Moth Week 2024! We’ll be showcasing the amazing Lepidoptera species reported during the week and inviting event leaders to share their mothing experiences. Whether you’re a moth enthusiast or a curious newcomer, celebrate the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths around the world! Register and bring your moth stories: https://SciStarter.org/go/LIVE
