Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) teamed up with Backyard Butterflies to host a magical Moth Night…
By Olivia Garcia, TLC Communications Manager
Under the cover of darkness, a hidden world comes to life at Brumley Nature Preserve. From the vibrant Luna Moth (Actias luna) to the intricately patterned Tulip Tree Silkmoth (Callosamia angulifera) and others, attendees to Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) and Backyard Butterflies’ seasonal “Moth Nights” are captivated by the rich tapestry of nocturnal biodiversity that call this preserve home.
At a Brumley Moth Night, you’ll find several stations of white sheets and bright lights set up to attract nocturnal Lepidoptera, beetles, and other nighttime critters. It’s a calm atmosphere, until the first moth appears, casting a spell of wonder throughout the crowd. As the night goes on, the sheets fill up with visiting moths, giving everyone the chance to step closer, snap photos, and work together to identify the winged guests.
The idea of hosting a Moth Night at Brumley came from a conversation among two moth enthusiasts at a TLC Wild Ideas event: TLC Senior Grants Manager Laura Warman and Backyard Butterflies co-founder Lior Carlson. What started as a casual chat has grown into a beloved community gathering, drawing nearly 200 people to Brumley this year.
Why moths?
Moths play vital roles in the greater ecosystem – serving as herbivores and pollinators as well as food for many creatures like birds, bats, and other insects. Additionally, they are great indicator species, meaning that we can infer a lot about habitat health and quality based on which moths are present and their numbers. A Moth Night provides the opportunity to capture a snapshot of a location’s biodiversity – and you don’t have to be an expert to get involved. “My work is to give you the opportunity to see what is out here” Carlson said, highlighting that, despite there being some very knowledgeable moth-ers on site, the focus of these evenings is on the experience of looking for and seeing the moths, not just checking off their names.
Moth Nights at Brumley are just a few of the many events Backyard Butterflies hosts across the Triangle to spark curiosity and awareness for moths. Centered in Hillsborough, the organization has provided education and community outreach around butterflies and moths to local communities since 2018. Their North Carolina Moth Project invites people of all experiences to take part in hands-on citizen science surveys by documenting moth species and contributing observations on platforms like iNaturalist that help researchers track populations, distribution, and long-term environmental change across the state.
“I was excited for TLC to have a mutually rewarding partnership with another local non-profit that I really like and respect,” said Warman. “We have a shared mission to connect people to nature, and as an Ecologist, I firmly think moths don’t get all the love they deserve.”
If you plant it and conserve it, they will come
Brumley Preserve’s 673 acres in Chapel Hill are home to a variety of habitats, including mature hardwood forests, ponds, small fields and wetlands, Stony Creek, and other small streams. This wildlife paradise wasn’t always so diverse – the property has a long history of land use, including farming, forestry, and time as a hunting club.
Since Brumley was first acquired by TLC in 2010, staff and volunteers have worked to create, restore, and maintain habitat for native species, especially pollinators. Initiatives such as invasive species removal, carefully planned prescribed burns, and native species plantings have slowly brought the landscape back to life. And, as evidenced by moth-filled sheets after dark, nature is responding to the abundance of host trees and native plants now available.
Backyard Butterflies also highlights the importance of native plants to moths and butterflies by hosting yearly native plant sales and a plant donation program for qualifying HOAs, schools, parks, groups, organizations, and other nonprofits. Just like the plants sustain the moths, these plant sales help sustain their events including an annual Moth Crawl that involves visiting several sites in one night,
Come moth with us!
Moth Nights at Brumley are beautiful examples of community, collaboration, and connecting folks with nature.
“I love watching people at Moth Nights discover what is out in the forests at night and turning that little bit of fear and discomfort into joy and fascination with cool bugs,” Warman said. Carlson also highlighted how people of all ages attend Moth Nights and delight in seeing moths, leaf miners and other insects, as well as the thrill of being in the forest after dark.
While this year’s Moth Nights have wrapped up, TLC and Backyard Butterflies plan to bring the glowing sheets back to Brumley again in 2026. Since different moths are active at different times of night and year, stay tuned for updates and a longer mothing season next year!
