By CARRIE FALCONE
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — Moth enthusiasts young and old will be on the lookout for 250 moth species at hundreds of private and public events throughout the country as part of the annual National Moth Week.
The weeklong event, which will be held July 23-31, shows the ecological importance of all moth species, according to a prepared statement. One of the moth species that will be profiled are the underwing moths, which are known for revealing their true, vibrant colors when their wings spread out.
The idea for National Moth Week began in 2005 at the East Brunswick Butterfly Park on Rues Lane, according to Moth Week co-founders Liti Haramaty and Dr. David Moskowitz, who are from East Brunswick and members of the The Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission (EBEC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental education and conservation.
“We would join a group of people and we would wait for moths at night by using a special light and a sheet as one of the ways to attract moths at night,” Haramaty said in an interview. “The amount of people who were interested in moths started to grow and I was surprised by their enthusiasm.”
“It’s amazing to me how our local moth nights have grown into a huge global citizen science program,” Moskowitz said. “And it is tremendously rewarding to see how our small local environmental group has been able to raise awareness about the importance of moths and their incredible biodiversity on a global scale.”
National Moth Week was created in 2012 by The Friends of the EBEC. The group was honored last week by the state Legislature with a joint resolution by 18 district legislatures for its commitment to nature and the environment.
National Moth Week has since garnered international attention with events being held each year in 47 states and 33 countries, including New Jersey. Many national parks, such as the Grand Canyon and Acadia National Park, are also going to hold moth-watching events, according to the statement.
Haramaty and Moskowitz will join The Friends of the EBEC and the Middlesex County Office of Parks and Recreation for “Moth Night,” a kickoff event from 8-11:30 p.m. on July 23 at Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave., South Brunswick. The rain date is scheduled for July 24.
Haramaty and Moskowitz will also be on hand to help with the identification process.
For more information about National Moth Week, visit www.nationalmothweek.org or email [email protected].
Contact Carrie Falcone at [email protected].