NC Moth Project, 1507 US Highway 70A, Hillsborough, NC (2026)

09/05/2026

🍄🦋 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦? 🦋🍄

Or maybe you're 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 ? Because on Saturday, September 12, we're going to expand our moth consciousness at 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 !

And this might be your chance to see one of the most wonderfully weird moths around: the 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵 (𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶) . 🌈🦋

This tiny moth is associated with 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 and tends to make an appearance early in the evening, which makes Moth Night a particularly good opportunity to look for it. Its 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱 is happening 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄, and sightings have been popping up across North Carolina on iNaturalist.

We'll have a special 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 set up with photos of the moth so everyone knows exactly what we're looking for. And if one shows up, we'll sound the alarm and let everyone know so you can come take a look at this 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵!

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀! That's part of the fun of Moth Night. We can't promise that Psychedelic Jones will make an appearance, but given the timing, the habitat, and the recent reports, there's a very good chance we could get lucky. May the odds be ever in our favor!

𝗦𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻, 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁! 😵‍💫🦋

📅 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮
🕗 𝟴:𝟬𝟬–𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺.
📍 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲
🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮? 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀!

(And no, you don't need to drop acid to see the Psychedelic Jones moth! 😉)

09/05/2026

𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗥!

Our Fall Plant Sale Fundraiser is coming up on 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝗿𝗱, and we need volunteer helpers! In addition to the plant sale, we'll have a 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 and a 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽.

📅 October 3rd

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 2:30–5:00 PM

All volunteers will receive a free Backyard Butterflies T-shirt to wear, plus we'll be providing a tasty lunch to keep you energized.

𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐩 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞

People will come from afar seeking your divine guidance on swapping plants. In addition to channeling ancient wisdom, you will help people check in their plants, make sure plants are labeled, and manage the swap area.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧

If you've ever grown a plant before, you can be a Maven. This isn't about knowledge, this is about relationship, and your love of plants. Help people find plants and make recommendations.

𝐆𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫

For this position we are looking for someone who will be a jack-of-all-trades and willing to "go for" things, like trays of plants from the greenhouse. You might also fill in for any volunteer position if we are short-staffed.

𝐉𝐞𝐝𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Why be a parking attendant when you can be a Jedi Master and wield a "light saber"? Ok, the traffic directing wand is a bit of a stretch to a light saber, but imagination will take you far in this role of helping people park.

𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫

Your job will be to flutter (literally or figuratively, you get to decide!) about our habitat. Show people all the interesting stuff, like flowers, caterpillars, butterflies, and more! Think of it as part interpreter, tour guide, and living insect all at the same time!

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫

Our check-out system uses PayPal POS in addition to taking old-fashioned cash. We can quickly teach you how to use the system, and someone will always be nearby to help you with more advanced transactions.

𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

As Leshy of Liberation, encourage people to get some free plants—save them from the compost pile and give them a second chance! Assist people with taking free plants and make sure the area is maintained.

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭!

09/04/2026

𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐑 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 & 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐏

Join us 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯, 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬–𝟱:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠 for our Fall Plant Sale Fundraiser — with native plants, a 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, a 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽, a free crafty workshop, and a little autumnal festing with our community!

🪴 𝟱𝟱 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦
Our fall collection includes:
• Native Asters, Beardtongue, Monarda, Goldenrods & Mountain Mint
• Native milkweeds and host plants for butterflies and moths
• Figwort, Pasture Thistle, Blue Vervain, Culver’s Root & more
• New Jersey Tea, American Beautyberry, Spicebush, Carolina Sweetshrub & Buttonbush
$𝟱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 | $𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 | $𝟭𝟱 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗿𝘂𝗯𝘀

♻️ 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗣
The Plant Swap is a great way to thin out some of your more prolific plants, or to pick up one of those prolific plants to fill an empty spot in your own garden.
Bring a healthy, clearly identified and labeled native pollinator plant that's ready to go to its new home, and swap it 1:1 with us or another plant lover.
No plant to swap? No problem. You can still come enjoy everything else happening that day.

🆓 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘

We'll have a selection of healthy plants that, for one reason or another, didn't find a buyer. Maybe we grew too many. Maybe they were overlooked. Maybe they're just a little unusual.

Rather than composting them, we're giving them another chance. It's also one of the ways we try to make native plants more accessible. You shouldn't need a big gardening budget to start a pollinator garden. Maybe you can take home a plant you've always wanted to try, or maybe the Free Plant Table is how you get started in the first place.

🎨 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣: 𝟯:𝟬𝟬–𝟱:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠

Our friends at 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍 & 𝑵𝒖𝒕 𝑨𝒓𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 will be here with a free, all-ages drop-in workshop to make and take pollinator shrinky-dinks.

Remember shrinky-dinks? If you grew up with them, this is your chance to take a little stroll down memory lane — and maybe introduce the next generation to the magic of watching a drawing shrink into a tiny keepsake. Or just take a few minutes to pause, enjoy the afternoon, and make something fun to take home with you.

🦋 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿?

Plant sales help support our work with Lepidoptera across North Carolina, including 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, the 𝗡𝗖 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, the 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹, 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, and our 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺.

🫶 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣?

We need volunteers to help make the day happen!
There are two volunteer shifts and multiple fun positions to choose from, so there are plenty of ways to pitch in. Volunteer perks include free lunch and a Backyard Butterflies T-shirt, along with the chance to spend part of the day with fellow plant and insect enthusiasts.

We'll put the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 where you can 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 that will be at the fundraiser, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 about the 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽, and 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 at the sale!

08/10/2026

We had a good time at Moth Magic After Dark at Cane Creek Natural Area in Alamance County!

07/27/2026

Looking for a unique outdoor learning experience for your homeschooler?

Join North Carolina leaf mine expert 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗻 for a fascinating hands-on workshop that will change the way your family looks at leaves forever. Designed for 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝟭𝟬 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 (with a parent or guardian present), this class introduces children to the hidden world of leaf miners—insects that spend part of their lives living inside leaves.

You'll begin with a fun introduction to the different signs insects leave behind on plants before heading outside to search for leaf mines and other fascinating discoveries at Durant Nature Preserve.

One of the best parts? This is a hobby your family can continue almost anywhere. Whether you're hiking, visiting a park, or simply exploring your own backyard, leaf mining is an easy and rewarding way to encourage observation, curiosity, and a love of nature. No previous experience is needed.

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 $𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. Link is in the comments.

Leaf mining is still a developing area of science, which means observations made by everyday nature lovers—including young naturalists—can help expand our understanding of the incredible diversity living all around us.

07/22/2026

Ever looked at a leaf and noticed a strange, winding trail etched across its surface — like something doodled on it? That's a leaf mine. And once you learn to spot them, you will never walk past a leaf the same way again.

Leaf miners are insects that spend their larval stage living 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 the leaf itself, eating their way through the tissue between the top and bottom surfaces. Some carve narrow, snaking tunnels. Others sprawl out into big blotchy patches. Some start as a tidy little tunnel and then just... give up on restraint and become a full splotch. It's delightfully weird, and it's happening in your backyard right now.

This is a genuinely underexplored corner of entomology — and Tracy Feldman, the state's leading expert on leaf mines, is opening the door. Leaf mining research is still a developing field, which means citizen scientists have real opportunities to contribute meaningful observations. This workshop is the perfect entry point.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁

• A lecture that gets you visually primed: host plants, and the different leaf-dwelling lifestyles (rollers, folders, tiers, miners, and more), so you know exactly what to look for

• Then straight outside into Durant Nature Preserve, where you'll start finding mines almost immediately. Honestly, you'll run out of time before you run out of mines!

This is a fantastic class for hikers and naturalists who want a reason to slow down and look closer at what's growing along the trail. No ID experience needed — though it helps if you already have experience IDing plants. Bring a macro lens if you've got one; these are small-scale subjects that require a close look, and they're great candidates for iNaturalist observations once you know what you're seeing!

Contrary to popular belief, leaf mining isn't just a moth thing — flies and beetles get in on it too. It's its own little branch of entomology, and an easy one to start exploring.

Leaf mining season runs spring through fall (gotta have leaves!), and it can be done in nearly any weather, so there's real flexibility here.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆'𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Insects eat plants—let me count the ways! There is a surprising and incredible variety of ways to eat plants, ranging from chewing them to sucking out their juices like mosquitoes do to us, to mining trails through the insides of leaves, to creating tumors on plants that create fresh food. In this workshop we'll explore different ways animals eat plants and discuss the adaptations behind some of these methods of feeding. Then we'll work on finding examples of herbivores in nature to provide you with some tools for contributing to science by looking closely at the small things feeding on plants in your backyards.

07/20/2026

We kicked off National Moth Week with our Midnight Mothing event at Brumley Forest Nature Preserve. We started at midnight and ended at 3 am. I made these helpful most wanted moths cards to help people find moths on the sheets. The Crowned Slug Moth showed up so I got a side by side to commemorate the moment.

NC Moth Project

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

08/10/2026

07/27/2026

07/22/2026

07/20/2026

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