Plano Parks and Recreation Summer Mothing Event – June 17, 2023

Leah Justice, 2021

Plano Parks and Recreation and the Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalist Chapter partnered up for a Summer Mothing Event with Sam Kieschnick on Saturday, June 17th It was precisely the kind of night you would hope for to attract the moths, hot and humid! Despite the sweltering heat, a large crowd of about 120-130 people assembled. Families, Master Naturalists, and many passersby were curious to see what came out when the sun went down. Seven different viewing areas were set up around the pavilion at Oak Point Park.

There was also an excellent display case of pinned moths for everyone to view. Sam Kieschnick spoke about moths, fireflies, and other insects that might show up. Many excited kids were in the crowd, and they immediately connected with Sam and asked some great questions. It was fantastic to hear the kids share their knowledge about insects. Many of them were far more knowledgeable than the adults!

Rare Find is the Brown Wasp Mantidfly above – This species is not a common sight in DFW. Sam K was particularly excited about this find!

There were plenty of insects to look at, and just as Sam predicted, the moths came out a little later in the night. BPTMN Chapter President Rick Travis shared his favorite observations below…

It was a great evening and many people stayed after taking pictures and talking about insects. Plano Parks and Recreation is talking about repeating this fun event annually and they are also considering another one later this summer. Stay tuned for more mothing fun; we have our Annual BPTMN Mothing event at Connemara Preserve on July 22nd, and in the meantime, check out the Plano Parks and Recreation free outdoor education classes this summer. There are several Master Naturalist led nature walks at Oak Point and Arbor Hills. A new bird walk has been added at Oak Point, and a Historical Uses of Plants class is happening at Arbor Hills. For more details, go to the City of Plano Recreation online website HERE.