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Observing Moths at Night: A Lightsheet & Mothing Demonstration at Flat Brook Wildlife Management Area
August 5, 2023 @ 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Every year, during the last week of July, National Moth Week celebrates the beauty, life cycles, habitats, and importance of moths and helps spread awareness of these essential insects whose global populations are rapidly declining. People of all ages and abilities are encouraged to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods.
Join BEAT, Matthew Rymkiewicz, and Carla Rhodes for a night of mothing (i.e., using a light to look for moths at night) where we’ll learn about, observe, and document moths as a way to celebrate National Moth Week! We’ll have two sheet rigs lit up with lights to attract moths and other cool insects. Moths will begin to accumulate once it gets dark, and as the night goes on, the larger moths will begin to make their way to the sheet. As they gather, we’ll take a closer look at them and try to identify who is who.
DATE: Saturday, August 5
TIME: 8:30 PM – 11:30 PM
»Participants are welcome to join at any time and leave whenever they want.
LOCATION: MassWildlife’s Flat Brook Wildlife Management Area (WMA), West Stockbridge, MA — Meet at the parking area on Baker Street.
How to get there: The WMA can be accessed from Baker Street or Route 41. There is a formal grassy parking area on the east side of Baker Street that can accommodate 3 or 4 vehicles. A parking area for launching a canoe/kayak to Cranberry Pond is located on the west side of Route 41. Roadside parking is possible at additional sites along Route 41 and Baker Street. See WMA map.
Note: WMAs are intentionally wild, and visitors will find natural landscapes rather than maintained trails.
*A huge thank you to MassWildlife for allowing us to use Flat Brook WMA for this exciting educational event!*
This is one of two events BEAT is organizing to help spread awareness and admiration of moths this July. We’re also hosting a presentation all about moths by Carla Rhodes—mothing and how to do it on your own, what moths you might find in your backyard, and the importance of moths! Click here to learn more about that event.
Matthew Rymkiewicz is an avid naturalist, birder, photographer, and amateur entomologist based in Dutchess County, NY. Over the past seven years, he has hosted events during National Moth Week in the Taconics and Berkshires region. A former musician and non-profit manager, Matthew works in IT at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, where the birding is off the charts.
Carla Rhodes is a conservation photographer who tells visual tales of the natural world, focusing on the overlooked and misunderstood. In 2021, she began photographing moths in anticipation of National Moth Week. The overall goal of her self-produced project was to raise awareness for moths, draw community scientists, and bring attention to National Moth Week. This project resulted in recognition from Smithsonian Magazine, The Guardian, and National Geographic. Click here to learn more about it!
