Moths Get a Bad Rap; "Not Fair" Say Organizers of First National Moth Week
Held July 23-29, the event promotes the understanding and enjoyment of moths and raises awareness about biodiversity
July 24, 2012
Moths sure get a bad rap; we associate them mostly as the pests that put holes in our stored clothing. In fact, few moth species are pests.
They are a more diverse species than butterflies and are ecologically very important, serving as food for birds and bats, and sometimes serving as pollinators.
To celebrate this seldom seen and very under-appreciated species, the very first National Moth Week was launched this week: July 23-29, as a week long, global mothing event to promote the understanding and enjoyment of moths and to raise awareness about biodiversity. On the very first day, the website dedicated to this inaugural effort had close to 2,000 hits alone.
The founders of National Moth Week have very deep Rutgers roots, with naturalist David Moskowitz, who is completing a Ph.D. in Entomology at Rutgers, and marine sciences researcher Liti Haramaty, of Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, leading the effort. In fact, this inaugural National Moth Week grew out of local Moth Nights sponsored by The Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission, www.friendsebec.com, founded by Moskowitz and Haramaty back in 2005.
The pair are joined by Elena Tartaglia, who is completing her Ph.D. in Ecology at Rutgers this December, deepening the Rutgers connection. Also among the key planners of National Moth Week are Todd J. Dreyer, who serves as the chief photographer, and Dan Ford, newly-minted environmental scientist and recent graduate of the University of Delaware.
Contact: Liti Haramaty
Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
732-599-2851
liti@nationalmothweek.org
Contact: David Moskowitz
732-236-2992
dmoskowitz@ecolsciences.com
