Event · Citizen Science
National Moth Week
Every July, National Moth Week invites families to flip on a porch light, lay out a white sheet, and discover how many remarkable moths live right outside the back door. It is one of the easiest citizen science traditions a family can build, requiring no special gear and no travel. The data you collect goes directly to researchers studying moth populations across North America.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, covers National Moth Week, an annual citizen science event held each July that encourages families to observe and record moth species in their own yards and neighborhoods. The page explains what the event is, how to participate, what gear helps, and how to plan a full weekend around mothing activities with kids ages 4 to 14. Key facts include the use of a white sheet and light to attract moths, the iNaturalist platform for submitting observations, and the event's role in building real scientific records of moth diversity. Outside presents this as an accessible, low-cost family tradition with genuine scientific value.
| Cost | Low to free |
|---|---|
| Season | Late July |
| Best ages | 4 and up |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Time commitment | One to three evenings |
What National Moth Week is
National Moth Week is a global citizen science event held every year during the last full week of July. It was founded in 2012 by a group of naturalists in New Jersey and has since grown to include participants in dozens of countries. The idea is simple: ordinary people spend time observing moths, photograph what they find, and submit their records to a shared scientific database. Those records help researchers understand where moth species live, how populations shift over time, and which habitats matter most. For families, the event is a low-pressure entry point into real field science. You are not simulating research. You are doing it.
Why moths deserve a closer look
Most of us grow up thinking butterflies are the interesting ones. Moths are their own story entirely. North America is home to thousands of moth species, ranging from the enormous Cecropia moth, with a wingspan wider than your hand, to thumbnail-sized micros that most people never notice at all. Moths pollinate night-blooming plants, serve as food for bats and birds, and are sensitive indicators of habitat health. Many species are strikingly beautiful: rich browns and creams, flashes of pink and yellow, patterns that look hand-painted. A single good mothing session on a warm July night can turn up a dozen species in a suburban backyard. Kids who expect dull brown wings are reliably surprised.
How to run a moth night
The basic setup takes about ten minutes. Hang a white bedsheet from a clothesline or fence post and shine a bright light onto it after dark. A UV blacklight bulb attracts more species than a standard white bulb, but any bright light works. Moths land on the sheet and rest, giving everyone time to look closely and take photographs. Keep a field notebook or use the iNaturalist app to log what you see. Submit your observations to the National Moth Week website or directly through iNaturalist, where experts help with identification. The best nights are warm, calm, and moonless. A temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and low wind make a real difference in how many moths appear.
Planning a family mothing weekend
National Moth Week is built for a weekend tradition. Start Friday evening with a backyard session so younger kids get familiar with the sheet-and-light method close to home. Saturday is a good day to visit a nearby park, nature center, or state forest and scout locations for an evening session in a more wooded habitat. Many parks and nature centers host organized moth nights during the week, led by local naturalists who can identify species on the spot. Check the National Moth Week website for registered public events in your area. Sunday morning, review your photos together, look up species you could not identify the night before, and enter your final count. Treat the weekend like a family expedition with a real deliverable at the end.
Gear that helps, gear you already have
You do not need to buy much. A white sheet, a light source, and a phone camera cover the basics. If you want to go further, a UV blacklight bulb costs less than ten dollars and fits a standard lamp socket. A headlamp with a red-light mode helps you move around without disrupting the moths. A loupe or jeweler's magnifier lets kids examine wing patterns up close without touching anything. Bring a field guide if you have one; David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie's "Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America" is thorough and well-illustrated. For western families, regional moth guides and the iNaturalist community both fill in the gaps. A simple tally sheet in the field notebook keeps the data organized and gives kids a job.
Making it stick year after year
The families who get the most from National Moth Week are the ones who treat it as a returning tradition. Keep your species list from year to year and see what changes. A yard that gets a new garden, loses a tree, or sits next to a restored meadow will show different moths over time. Older kids can take on more responsibility: running the iNaturalist submissions, sketching species in a dedicated journal, or comparing this year's count against last year's. Younger kids tend to love the flashlight, the surprise of what lands, and the permission to stay up past dark for a reason that feels important. That combination of real science and genuine family time is exactly what National Moth Week was designed to produce.
Describe the most surprising moth you saw this week. What did its wings look like up close, and where exactly was it resting when you first spotted it?
Frequently asked questions
When exactly does National Moth Week take place?
National Moth Week is held during the last full week of July each year. The specific dates shift slightly from year to year, so check the National Moth Week website in early summer for the current year's official dates.
Do we need a blacklight to participate?
No. A standard bright white light shining onto a white sheet will attract moths and is a perfectly valid way to participate. A UV blacklight bulb does draw a wider variety of species, but it is an upgrade rather than a requirement. Many families start with what they have and add a blacklight in later years.
How do we submit our moth observations?
The most direct route is through the iNaturalist app or website, which connects your photos and location data to a database used by researchers. You can also submit records directly through the National Moth Week website. Either way, community experts and algorithms help confirm your identifications, so you do not need to know every species yourself before submitting.
Is mothing safe for young kids?
Yes. Moths do not sting or bite, and the activity takes place close to home or in familiar outdoor spaces. Standard precautions for any evening outdoors apply: use insect repellent, wear closed shoes, and keep younger children close to the sheet and light source. The calm, stationary nature of mothing actually makes it easier to manage with a mixed-age group than many other outdoor activities.