Flight by Night

If you have taken one of our YYC Young Citizen Scientist Pollinator programs you now understand the importance and diversity of our pollinators. One special pollinator that is often left in the shadows, literally, are moths! 

How are moths pollinators, you ask? Many, but not all, moths are nocturnal pollinators meaning they are active during the nighttime.  

They particularly love plants: 

• That flower in clusters 
• Open up during the late afternoon or evening 
• Are dull colours  

How do we help moths though Citizen Science?  

You may feel like it would be difficult to capture photos of moths at night! But there are certainly ways around this, as shown by the Flight by Night mothing event presented by Weaselhead Glenmore Park Preservation Society and Citizen Blitz. This event took place in Weaselhead North Glenmore Park during National Moth Week, which is a Citizen Science project dedicated to taking photos and submitting observations of moths to iNaturalist.  

 

Photo 1. David Lawrie welcoming the participants to the Flight by Night event and providing his expertise about moths. (Photo credit: Matt Wallace) 

David Lawrie, president of the Alberta Lepidopterists’ Guild, hosted the program where he educated participants on the differences between moths and butterflies, their diversity, how light pollution impacts our moth species and how to set up a moth sheet! Moth sheets are used to attract moths to you, which makes observing them very easy and doable. You can set these up in a natural area or in your own backyard, give it a try! 

 

Photo 2. Participants taking observing, record and taking photos of the moths landing on the moth sheets. (Photo credit: Christina Reynolds) 

 

How do you set up a moth sheet? Find out here!

Your challenge this month is to either:

1. Set up a moth sheet, take photos of the moths you attract and upload your observations to a Citizen Science app (like Seek or iNaturalist). Once you submit them, send your photos to education@greencalgary.org.

2. Go on a nature walk in your community and find 5 pollinators! Take photos of them and upload them to a Citizen Science app (like Seek or iNaturalist). Once you submit them, send your photos to education@greencalgary.org. Remember pollinators are more than just insects, they can be: birds, rodents, bats, reptiles, or small fuzzy mammals and beyond!

By submitting your photos to our email, you will be entered into our contest to win a HUGE nature prize pack! Don't miss your opportunity this month!