Winged Wonders
Long Key takes part in National Moth Week with three programs
WHAT: Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center in Davie, in conjunction with the Broward County Butterfly Chapter and the Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), will help celebrate the third National Moth Week with three programs in late July. Moth Week puts a long-overdue spotlight on moths and their ecological importance as well as biodiversity. When the program was launched in 2012, 175 events were registered in 16 countries and 46 U.S. states. This year hundreds of events are registered around the world in 40 countries and all 50 states.
From noon to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, Long Key will hold its own Moth Day, featuring presentations on moth life cycles, diversity, and gardening; plant giveaways; and information on how to view moths in your own back yard. Information will be available on “moth gardens” and the native plants that can help attract moths to your back yard. The program is free and includes the presentations "Of Moon Moths and Silken Threads" (noon, presented by Dr. Michelle DaCosta of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services); "Attracting Moths for a Closer Look" (1:30 p.m., Kelli Whitney, Long Key Parks Naturalist); and "Moths of South Florida" (3 p.m., Alan Chin-Lee, lepidopterist and nature photographer).
Then from 8 to 10 p.m. on Friday, July 25, for Moth Night, the park will set up equipment to attract moths to Long Key and introduce program participants to what is found. This effort will contribute to our understanding of moth populations in protected areas such as Long Key, as well as demonstrate how lepidopterists do their work with light, sheets, and potions that moths find irresistible. The fee is $5 per person.
The weekend of Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27, the nature center will offer Magical Moths for Kids, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants ages 3 to 12 will visit the park's Discovery Room to learn about moths and their butterfly cousins. The program will include games, storytelling, crafts, and nature walks. The fee is $5/child.
WHERE: Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center
3501 S.W. 130th Ave., Davie 33330
954-357-8797
WHEN: Sunday, July 20, noon-4:30 p.m. (Moth Day)
Friday, July 25, 8-10 p.m. (Moth Night)
Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Magical Moths for Kids)
WHO: For all ages (Moth Day and Moth Night); for ages 3-12 (Magical Moths for Kids).
HOW: Fees: $5/person (Moth Night and Magical Moths for Kids).
For further information, call the nature center at 954-357-8797.
