Saturday, June 6
8:30 - 11:30 pm

Summon the Light: Reconvene with the Moths

Sometimes officially described as part citizen science, part magic, and all parts pure moth joy, we’re purely delighted to return for another night of mothy mayhem across Hillsborough.

Whether you are a curious newcomer or a seasoned moth’er, young or old, join us for an evening of visiting multiple mothing locations in a single night, resulting in the epic achievement of Mothing Your Way Across Hillsborough!

A year has passed since we last gathered around the collecting sheets.

In that time, something has shifted. It feels a little celestial, like starlight traveling billions and billions of miles, reaching us long after it first began its journey. When we look up, we are seeing the past and the present at once. And in our own way, that’s what this return feels like too. We are back, but not the same. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. We’ve undergone metamorphosis.

We summon the light, and the light summons the moths.

Out of the darkness, they come, drawn from hidden places into illumination, into visibility, into presence. And we come too, drawn by curiosity, wonder, and something harder to name but easy to feel once you’re standing there, watching a Luna Moth flutter at the collecting sheet.

There is something quietly magical about it.

Here in the night, the world softens and expands. The darkness reveals rather than conceals. Another version of reality emerges, one that asks us to slow down, to notice, to be an observer: a citizen scientist. The moths connect us to nature, to each other, and to this fleeting moment of shared attention. Their diversity, endless in form, color, and expression, reflects something back to us, too.

This is a space rooted in inclusion, where everyone is truly welcome. Where moths, and the people who love them, are celebrated!

There is love here. There is presence here.

And for one night, under the glow of gathered light, we get to experience a world that only reveals itself to those willing to step into the dark and see what arrives!

Inclement Weather Policy

When it comes to mothing, we’re on Nature’s terms, meaning the event is highly weather dependent. Attendees will receive updates by email regarding any delays or rescheduling due to rain or storms. We have scheduled Sunday, June 7, at the same time and locations, as the rain date.

What to Bring & Wear

 Essentials:
  • Flashlight or headlamp (to safely navigate in the dark)

  • Camera or smartphone (optional, but great for capturing insect encounters)

Clothing Guidelines:

We want you to be comfortable, and we also invite you to be festive. Come as you are, or come transformed. Wings, antennae, sequins, hiking shoes, full cryptid fantasy, or quiet, lurking Mothman, there is room here for all of it! Families, children, longtime naturalists, first-time visitors, the boldly expressive and the softly present are all welcome. This is a gathering that holds space for difference, curiosity, and connection. There is no judgment here, only invitation to attempt to be more fashionable than MOTHS!

We understand that at the collecting sheet is can feel very BUGGY. Because we will be spending time outdoors at night in natural areas, we also recommend practical clothing for comfort and safety:

• Closed-toe shoes (no sandals or flip-flops)
• Long pants
• A snug-fitting shirt (avoid loose sleeves when possible)
• Minimize exposed skin, as insects may land on you or crawl along clothing

And yes, we also love a little transformation and dressing up for the MOTHS! If you have moth, insect, moth-adjacent, or cryptid costumes, we absolutely encourage them. Practical and playful can coexist here.

 Extra Tips:

  • Insect repellent is recommended (to discourage friendly tickles)

  • UV lights will be in use; consider applying sunscreen to exposed skin.

What's New for 2026

The Moth Crawl has expanded for 2026, with a new location and thoughtful enhancements to make the night even more immersive, accessible, and delightfully mothy!

Through our partnerships with multiple organizations, we’re able to welcome the growing community of people who feel the call to gather, wander, and commune with the moths!

As always, each location will have experienced volunteers on hand to help identify moths and the many other nocturnal visitors that appear on the collecting sheets. Whether you’re hoping to name what you see or simply appreciate it, there will always be someone nearby to guide and share in the moment.

NEW FOR 2026! — Our beloved local wildlife rehabilitation and animal rescue organization, CLAWS, will join us with a parliament of  owls and other nocturnal birds. Moth Crawlers will have the chance to learn about owls, hawks, and falcons and how these “frenemies” have a role in the ecosystem, just like moths. Of course everybody’s favorite corvids, Grip and Lark, will also be on hand – literally – as you can hold one or both birds on your arm!

Confluence Natural Area — Family-Friendly Activities

At Confluence Natural Area, the North Carolina Entomological Society will host a family-friendly, hands-on activity focused on the fascinating world of insects, perfect for curious minds while we await the first moths to arrive at the collecting sheets.

Exclusive Leaf Miner Workshop — Friday, June 5 at Durant Nature Preserve

We included a challenge of leaf miners and then realized, why not offer some help by conducting an exclusive-to-Moth Crawlers workshop? Local expert Tracy Feldman thankfully agreed to do it! We realize the timing of the workshop is when most people are at work, but we hope some of you who are interested in learning about leaf miners will join us!

Offered as both a resource for the Grand Moth’er Challenge and an invitation for all Moth Crawlers to look closer, this workshop explores leaf miners as one of the most fascinating,and often overlooked, aspects of our beloved MOTHS!

Title: Who’s Been Drawing on the Leaves? An Introduction to Leaf Miners

Date: Friday, June 5, 2026

Time: 9 am — Noon

Instructor: Tracy Feldman
Location: Durant Nature Preserve

Limit: 15 people

Ever notice those squiggly lines on leaves, as if something has been drawing or writing across the surface? It’s enough to make you wonder: who’s responsible? A sentient cryptid? An extra-terrestrial Banksy? The reality is just as fascinating!

Imagine starting your life in the ultimate living escape room: you’re a microscopic caterpillar inside of a leaf, where the only way out is to eat your way through! As these tiny caterpillars tunnel through plant tissue, they leave behind the intricate patterns (aka “mines”) we see — and often a trail of frass! 

Join local expert Tracy Feldman for an engaging introduction to leaf miners, including both moth and fly species, along with a bonus look at wasp galls. The workshop begins with a short indoor session covering what these organisms are, how they live, and how to recognize their signs. Then we’ll head outside to find leaf mines and galls in the field and practice observing them up close.

Tracy S. Feldman is an ecologist and educator originally from the Northeastern United States, with a lifelong interest in natural history. He began studying leaf-mining insects in 2015 and has worked with Charley Eiseman and others to document new host records, new state records, and new species of leaf miners. He spent approximately 14 years as a college biology professor and has worked since 2023 as an environmental educator and Assistant Manager of Durant and Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserves with the City of Raleigh. He enjoys sharing the wonders of nature with anyone who is curious to learn more.

Use this link to be directed to the registration page. If you are only registering for the workshop, click on SKIP TO MORE TICKETS on the bottom left corner.

How to Moth Your Way Across Hillsborough

Registration check-in opens at 8:00 PM at all locations. While we wait for the moths to arrive, select venues will offer activities to ease us into the evening and deepen the experience. For those participating in the iNaturalist Contest or the Grand Moth’er Challenge, you’re welcome to begin at 8:00 PM as well, making use of the last light of day before the nocturnal world fully takes over.

Stamp Card & Swag

Our Official Stamp Cards are back for 2026, with a small twist! This year, everyone receives their swag at registration. No need to earn your bumper sticker by visiting every location. Instead, your Stamp Card becomes part of the experience itself. Collect stamps as you visit different locations, and if you complete your card, you receive one entry into a drawing for a special edition Hillsborough Moth Crawl T-shirt. It’s s little souvenir that might become a T-shirt!

Official Stamp Card
You could win this T-shirt!
Official 2026 bumper sticker

MEET THE ORGANIZER

Backyard Butterflies is a non-profit organization located in Hillsborough, NC. Their mission is to provide Lepidoptera education, community outreach, and assistance in creating backyard gardens or habitats that support butterfly and moth life cycles. They conduct multiple Moth Night events throughout the year and conduct the NC Moth Project and NC Under-reported County Mothing Project, both state-wide citizen science projects welcoming participants of all ages, abilities, and identities.

LOCATIONS

Blackwood Farm Park

4215 NC-86, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Blackwood Farm Park in Hillsborough preserves a 152-acre property that began as a family farm owned by the Strayhorns in 1817 before being purchased by Herbert and Alice Blackwood in 1906. The Blackwood family worked the land for decades, including operating a small dairy in the 1930s. Orange County Government acquired the farm in 2001 to protect its agricultural and historical character. The park opened to the public in 2015 and was later renovated to restore historic structures while adding recreational features.

The Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation manages parks, natural areas, and recreation facilities while conserving the county’s natural and cultural resources. Its Recreation Division provides residents of all ages and abilities with affordable programs, open access to facilities, and opportunities to engage in healthy activities. The department also supports environmental stewardship, education, and the protection of open space and farmland. Together, these efforts promote community well-being while preserving Orange County’s environmental and cultural assets.

Brumley Forest Nature Preserve

3055 New Hope Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Brumley Forest Nature Preserve in North Carolina occupies land with a long history of human use, including farming, forestry, and a former dairy operation, with portions also cleared for fields and managed as a tree farm. In the late 20th century, parts of the property were slated for large residential development, prompting George and Julia Brumley to purchase and protect the land for conservation and traditional uses like farming and hunting. After their deaths, the land was sold in 2010 to the Triangle Land Conservancy, which worked to preserve it as open space. The preserve opened to the public in 2017 as a managed natural area focused on conservation, recreation, and watershed protection.

Triangle Land Conservancy’s mission strives to create a healthier and more vibrant Triangle region by safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting local farms and food, and connecting people with nature through land protection and stewardship, catalyzing community action and collaboration.

Throughout the year, at their multiple nature preserves, nature lovers and naturalists can enjoy a variety of programs and events. 

CONFLUENCE NATURAL AREA

4214 Highland Farm Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278

The Confluence Natural Area in Hillsborough was originally agricultural land dating back to the late 1700s and also includes remnants of an early mill tied to the Eno River. As farming declined, the property became part of broader conservation efforts led by Eno River Association to protect the river and its surrounding habitats. Its location at the meeting point of the river’s forks made it especially valuable for ecological preservation. The area was opened to the public in 2018 as a low-impact natural preserve focused on conservation and quiet recreation.

Eno River Association, founded in 1966, is an accredited land trust and conservation nonprofit driven by a mission to conserve and protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River Basin.

They provide educational programs, events, and publications that serve tens of thousands annually. Their largest awareness and fundraising event, the Festival for the Eno, brings together dozens of musical acts, regional craft artists, local nonprofits, and tens of thousands of guests to West Point on the Eno Durham City Park for an outdoor festival Independence Day Weekend, held since 1980.

SPONSOR

The Moth Crawl has always run on passion, volunteer hours, and the sheer collective will of people who really, really love moths. This year we are adding something new: a formal sponsorship program for individuals, businesses, organizations, and groups who want to help sustain this event and everything it stands for. Sponsorships start at $50. All Sponsors receive exclusive swag and perks as our way of saying thank you for keeping the lights on, literally!

2026 HILLSBOROUGH MOTH CRAWL SPONSORS

CONTESTS

The Hillsborough Moth Crawl features two friendly competitions designed to encourage making observations and submitting them, also known as Citizen Science! The iNaturalist Contest is for those who appreciate silly playfulness alongside our serious science. The Grand Moth’er Challenge is a timed, individual competition for those who thrive under impossible standards and the pressure to perform. For your efforts you will be rewarded with premium moth equipment and an impressive sounding title.

Prospective contestants may enter only one competition during the Hillsborough Moth Crawl. Please choose wisely!

MERCH

MEET THE 2026 SPOKES-MOTH

Automeris io

Introducing Automeris io, the Io Moth! A reminder that the moth world is full of color, wonder, and drama beyond the Luna and Rosy Maple (we love them too, we promise). We chose the Io Moth because those eyespots — dreamy, starry, nebulous — look like they were pulled straight from a galaxy. We are captivated, and once you see this design, you will be too!

This year, we collaborated with Jade Shepard of the Perpetual Pen , an artist who exists in the rare space where scientific precision and pure magic overlap. Jade has a gift for capturing both the finest details and the greater soul of her subjects, rendering the natural world in a way that is at once breathtakingly true to life and somehow fantastical. Her work radiates curiosity and wonder: you can feel her deep love for and connection to nature, and her hunger to truly know every creature she recreates. And moths? Moths are her people! It was only right that she bring our 2026 Spokes-moth to life!

This is a limited edition shirt, and you’ll want it in your hands before the Moth Crawl begins. Each shirt is printed and shipped directly to you via Printful. Please allow 7–10 days depending on your shipping speed, and plan your order accordingly. This limited edition design will be available until June 30, 2026.

REGISTRATION

Registration is FREE and REQUIRED
• Only REGISTERED attendees will receive an official Hillsborough Moth Crawl Swag Bag •

Note: Donations do not generate a ticket. Sponsorships include one registration.