Celebrate National Moth Week at Community Park, July 23

N.J. State Assemblyman Sterley S. Stanley will present a joint legislative resolution honoring National Moth Week, an international citizen science project founded in East Brunswick, at a township-wide moth night at Community Park on Friday, July 23.

The presentation will take place at 8:30 p.m. at the park, located at 350 Dunhams Corner Road, adjacent to Crystal Springs Aquatic Center. Rain date is Saturday, July 24. The event is free and open to the public.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Stanley with state Sen. Patrick Diegnan Jr. and Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, recognizes National Moth Week as “an important opportunity to mark the significance that moths have to our larger ecosystem…” and commends the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission, which founded and coordinates National Moth Week.

"I am proud to see how National Moth Week has grown and I am inspired by the participants and their passion,” said Stanley. “I commend Dave Moskowitz and Liti Haramaty for their outstanding work these past ten years. I am looking forward to recognizing the importance of moths and their diversity as well as seeing how National Moth Week expands globally."

Moth night will run from 8 to 11:30 p.m., beginning with the setup of lights and sheets in the woods. Kids are invited to help “paint” trees with a homemade sugar bait that attracts moths. Attendance is free and open to the public. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes, long sleeves and pants. Bug spray also is suggested.

This year, July 17-25, marks the 10th year that National Moth Week is being observed around the world. It was founded by David Moskowitz and Liti Haramaty as a project of the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission. In its first year, NMW attracted participants across the country and around the world, who registered their public and private moth-watching events on the website, nationalmothweek.org. It has grown to include participants all 50 states and over 90 countries.

National Moth Week (NMW) shines a spotlight on moths and their ecological importance as well as their incredible diversity and beauty. This nine-day global event encourages people of all ages and abilities to become “citizen scientists” and contribute photos and data to online databases.

NMW is coordinated by the FriendsEBEC with the assistance of an international team of scientists, educators and moth enthusiasts and a network of country coordinators who encourage participation in their countries. A science advisory board, partner organizations and sponsors round out the all-volunteer project.

It’s free to register a U.S. or international event. Registration is open to individuals, groups and organizations. Participating organizations have included National Parks and Monuments, state and local parks, museums, libraries, camps and nature preserves. Anyone can register a public or private event or find one to attend in their area by checking the events map on the website.

The website includes blogs and a video library with tips and tutorials for watching moths. A moth-ing “event” can simply involve turning on a porch light at night and watching what happens, or going outside in daylight to find caterpillars and diurnal moths like the hummingbird moth. Participants can use ordinary light bulbs, UV lights, or mercury vapor lights to attract moths, or brush sweet moth bait on tree barks.

Why study moths?

• Moths are among the most diverse and successful organisms on earth.
• Scientists estimate there are 150,000 to more than 500,000 moth species.
• Their colors and patterns are either dazzling or so cryptic that they define camouflage. Shapes and sizes span the gamut from as small as a pinhead to as large as an adult’s hand.
• Most moths are nocturnal, but some fly during the day.
• Moths can give us clues about the health of their environment. Decreasing numbers in some locations can indicate problems in the ecosystem.

Through partnerships with major online biological data depositories, National Moth Week encourages participants to record moth distribution and to provide information on other aspects of their life cycles and habitats. Registered participants will receive a certificate designed by NMW artist Belen Mena.

National Moth Week is a project of the Friends of the East Brunswick (NJ) Environmental Commission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental education and conservation.