Moths took center stage at Floyd Bennett Field (FBF) as the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) welcomed the community for an evening of learning about nighttime pollinators and their role in the local ecosystem.
“Moth Ball – A Night of Moths and Moonlight” took place on Monday, July 20th, and featured moth-viewing stations, black lights, educational activities and trees painted with a homemade mixture, including sugar water, molasses, beer and mashed banana, to attract moths.
“We are celebrating moths tonight and looking for moths here at Floyd Bennett Field, part of the Jamaica Bay ecosystem,” JBRPC Executive Director Terri Carta said. She pointed out that moths are often overlooked as pollinators. “We think about bees when we hear about pollination. Sometimes we think about butterflies, but hardly ever do we think about moths as pollinators,” she said. “Tonight is all about raising awareness and celebrating these amazing pollinators that live around here.”
This was JBRPC’s first event dedicated to moths and is part of a larger two-year pollinator initiative. The program provides educational activities for schools, families and community members and also works to restore habitats and plant native species that attract pollinators. The Conservancy is also working with NYC Parks and its native plant nursery at FBF to grow and transplant plants that support pollinators. The New York Community Trust and the New York State Pollinator Fund provided grants for the initiative.
Carta said protecting pollinators in cities is especially important because natural habitats are threatened by development and crowded areas. “We need to make sure that we’re conserving enough habitat for these pollinators to survive because they are depending on us, and we are also depending on them,” Carta said.
During the event, guests visited observation stations with lights and white sheets to attract moths. Experts were there to help identify the different species. Carta mentioned that Jamaica Bay could have hundreds of moth species, which is much more than the number of butterfly species in the area. She encouraged people to plant native, pollinator-friendly plants, volunteer at park cleanups and community gardens, and help raise awareness about local wildlife.
Delilah McBride, director of education and public programs for JBRPC, said the turnout exceeded her expectations. “I am thrilled,” she said. “I’m so excited that we brought so many moth enthusiasts to the park. This has exceeded my expectations, and I’m excited for it to become dark and to see what moths show up.”
McBride said more than 85 people attended, including many children, even though the event took place from 8 to 10 p.m. on a Monday. The Nottage family from Bushwick was among the visitors. They told the Canarsie Courier they were excited to learn about moths and enjoyed having an educational activity to do together as a family.
The program was scheduled to line up with National Moth Week and other events happening around Jamaica Bay that week. McBride said the goal was to make environmental education welcoming for both experienced naturalists and families looking for a fun activity. “We’re trying to bridge that gap between the naturalists who already want to do this and people who just want to do something fun and cool,” she said. “We want to find an entry point for everyone into these activities.”
To learn more about Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, visit jbrpc.org.
