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Come enjoy an evening of moth discovery! If you've never had the unique opportunity to 'go mothing', you're truly missing out - these critical night-time pollinators are more diverse and beautiful than you could imagine! North America has over 10,000 native moths compared to 700 native butterflies - and while moths are often thought of as small and drab, they come in every imaginable size, color and pattern... let us show you how to draw them in!
Ticketed Event: Adults $20, kids free with a paid adult ticket
-PARTICIPATE: a professional moth light and collection demonstration, with guest participation and guidance from entomologists on identification
-INDULGE: food vendor Goldfinch Black Mountain will offer delicious seasonal dishes (vegan friendly & GF options)
-OBSERVE: a collaborative presentation highlighting these fabulous nighttime pollinators including their beauty, diversity and ecological importance, moth-friendly gardening, plus how to observe and collect moths in an environmentally responsible manner
-GARDEN: Painters will have select moth-friendly plants for sale along with moth-related art
-SHOP: Vendor Instar Innovations will have a wide array of moth and insect related offerings, including black light moth collecting kits and moth "brew" for you to try your hand at moth collecting at home, UV kits for caterpillar, mushroom and rock hunting, handcrafted moth, butterfly and beetle dioramas and shadowboxes, and vintage themed natural history gifts.
We also invite you to unfurl your own wings, literally! Join the fun in our Costume Contest where the winner gets a free moth collection kit!
And of course, you can't beat special evening access to Painters' grounds - the flowers and wildlife are especially magical at twilight!
The event is officially registered for National Moth Week. Two entomologists will be on hand to answer questions and aid in identification throughout the evening. Attendees will be encouraged to photograph specimens and report/post them for National Moth Week to contribute to citizen science.
Doors open at 7:00pm. Shop Painters' plants from 7-8:30, lecture is at 8:30, and moths will (hopefully) start 'attending' by 9:30pm. Goldfinch and Instar vending will be available 7-10:30pm. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs as seating will be limited.
Note: The main event is outside in our field, and will need to be rescheduled if any severe weather is predicted that week.
