You probably had no idea that people all over the globe are doing moth related research this week. The reason? July 18-26th is Moth Week!
If you have a budding scientist or nature lover, then help them learn about moths with this simple experiment. It’s perfect for us here in Phoenix because the science is done in the cool hours after the sun has set, can be done right at home, and requires no special equipment!
Put up a light colored sheet near your back or front door one evening and be sure to turn on the porch light. After a while, go out and see what moths were attracted to the light and may have landed on the sheet.
This link has a chart to help you identify the moths you might see. We normally think of moths as being plain, but some of them are quite pretty!
If you have a good collection, then your child might like take photos or draw pictures to document what moths they saw. If they are very serious about their findings, help them officially enter their photos here: https://nationalmothweek.org/ or via an organization such as https://www.inaturalist.org/
Once the moths have been observed, gently shake off the moths and re-claim your sheet.
And for no particular reason, here’s a moth joke to share with your kids: What is the biggest moth called?
A mammoth.
